Wishful Thinking
by TombRaiderNinja
Summary: Jay Walker is a senior in Ninjago High. He's not only short, awkward, and anxiety-ridden, but he's also harboring a powerful crush on the most popular guy in school. Standing against the odds of his impossible his feelings, Jay only has two choices. To love his flaws and fuel himself with confidence...Or to rely on the magic wishes of an ancient teapot. Ninjago AU. Bruiseshipping
1. Average Day, Average Life

Chapter One- Average Day, Average life

Jay could pinpoint the _exact_ moment he'd began to fall for Cole Brookstone.

It had been during recess in fourth grade. Jay couldn't remember the exact date, but he could remember it being really _really_ hot outside. He'd been proudly presenting a cup of frozen yogurt to Nya, enjoying the wide eyed longing she gave the snack.

"I left it in the freezer _all_ night," Jay beamed. "It melted a bit, but ahh, still perfectly cold!"

Nya had whimpered with jealousy, looking down at her own lunch. "You wouldn't have packed a cup for your best friend, would you?"

"Nope. Sorry. Mom only bought me this one. And I'm going to treasure it!"

Nya pouted, and Jay peeled open the container, his mouth watering with anticipation.

"Whoa, whoa, watch out!"

The shout had been unexpected, and Jay's reflexes had never been at the top of their game. He'd looked up seconds too late, able to do nothing more than watch as a soccer ball shot straight towards him.

Jay screamed at the impact, his head flying back and his nose breaking with an uncomfortable _crunch_. The perfectly chilled yogurt wound up smeared on his shirt. Warm blood spilled from within his nose, and Jay didn't know whether to cry or continue screaming.

"I'm really sorry!" The voice that had attempted to warn him moments before said, and Jay grumbled.

"Yeah you should be! Jeez! My nose! _And_ my yogurt! Gah!"

Nya bit her lip, trying to hold back fits of laugher. "You alright?"

" _Do I look alright!?_ "

Jay wiped the tears from his face, then placed his hand on his nose, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. His eyes finally focused on the figure above him, who now clutched the soccer ball in an apologetic manner.

The kid had black hair, and wide, worried grey eyes. "Let me take you to the nurse. Again I'm _really_ sorry."

"It's _fine_. I'm _fine_." Jay stood on his own, trying his best to see over his own hand. "I can get there myself, thanks."

He'd remained with the nurse for the rest of the day, seeing his broken nose as a perfect excuse to stay out of class. Jay the time blabbering away to the nurse, who threatened to send him back to class every so often, if he didn't quiet down.

When the day ended, the very boy who'd broken his nose caught Jay as he was getting ready to leave the nurse's office. He held two small cups in his hand, filled with bright blue slushees.

"It's not as good as the yogurt I made you spill, but I hope it makes up for something." The boy said, handing Jay one of the cups. "My name's Cole. What's yours?"

Jay accepted the cup, stomach fluttering with a strange feeling that he wouldn't come to understand until later. "I'm Jay."

"Jay," Cole had smiled, and Jay's heart had given a very sudden jolt. "I like it!"

"Thank you," Jay's response was soft and stuttered. They walked to the front of the school together, and Cole stayed with Jay until his parents showed, asking just enough questions to keep the conversation going.

"Sorry about your nose again!" Cole's apologetic smile was the last thing Jay saw as he walked towards his parents.

Years passed, and the flimsy connection between them didn't quite manage to blossom into friendship. They were both very different boys, with very different interests, which kept them out of each other's lives.

Despite this, Jay was never again able to keep Cole out of his mind.

Without particularly meaning to, he was heavily aware of everything Cole did.

He watched Cole's popularity grow, thanks to his kind nature, and charming attitude. By the time they reached high school, there weren't many people that didn't know his name. Cole seemed to be naturally talented at many things, effortlessly excelling with an easy, heart-stopping smile.

Each day, Jay became more and more hopelessly in love with the _one_ boy he would never be able to impress.

"Walker! Hello! I'm talking here!"

Jay jolted, moving his mind out of the past, and into the present. He focused on the features of his best friend, who was frowning at him with a pout.

"You're wearing _that_ on your first day of senior year?" Nya scoffed.

Jay looked down at himself. Blue jeans, and a simple T-Shirt with the words _Fast as Lightning!_ Scribbled on graffiti style. "Yeah? It's my favorite shirt."

"It's _old_. And it's senior year!"

"So what? It's not like our lives are going to miraculously turn into a fairy tale just because of it." Jay shrugged. "You know what senior year really means? Stress! Anxiety! Will my college accept me? Can I afford it? So many deadlines, So many _things_."

"Wrong," Nya shook her head, Then stopped and gave a small shrug. "Okay, maybe not wrong. But that's not the point. The point is, this is the last year we've got to. . . to _not_ be adults. The last year we've got at Ninjago High. We need to make the most of it."

"Okay I'll make the most of it. By wearing my favorite shirt."

"Fine,"

A loud honking sound startled them both, making them jolt. Jay clutched his heart and frowned, while Nya smiled mischievously as she deducted the source of the sound. Crawling on her bed, she moved towards her window, moving the curtains to look outside.

Once her suspicions were proven right, she slid the window open, waving at the car below. "Hey, Cole!"

At the mention of Cole's name, Jay dropped to the ground, even though it would have been impossible for Cole to spot him. Nya laughed.

Outside the house, Cole returned Nya's wave. "Hey! Please tell me your brother is ready."

"Hard to say. You want to come inside?"

" _Don't invite him inside!?"_ Jay hissed, still laying on the ground.

"No need!" Kai shouted from somewhere inside the house. "Tell him I'm coming, Nya!"

Jay sighed in relief. Nya frowned in disappointment. "He said he's coming."

Cole nodded, and Nya shut the window. "Maybe I should ask if they can give us a ride. I mean, we're all going to the _same_ school"

"No, that's fine, we're fine, we don't _need_ a ride Nya." Jay sat up slowly, hoping his skin wasn't as red as it felt. "It's too early. They've got their band practice or whatever."

"We could watch. I've heard them play before, they're pretty good. Their drummer, Zane? Wow! That guy can _play_."

The sound of tires on pavement traveled up to their ears, and Jay smiled. "Oh no. Well. They left. Too bad, too sad. Guess we're taking the bus!"

"Why don't you let your dad take us? What kind of _seniors_ take the _bus_?"

"You want to ride on the car my dad built? Himself? No. No thank you. It's scary enough riding that thing from our house to here." Jay stood, straightening his shirt, momentarily wondering if he _should_ have dressed differently.

"Your dad's inventions work just fine, Jay. You're just a chicken."

"And being a chicken has kept me alive though, hasn't it!"

"Yeah, 'alive', sure."

"Could we stop judging my lifestyle and _just_ get some breakfast?" Jay said, heading out of Nya's room and into the hall.

* * *

"Sooo," Lloyd turned on his seat, to look at Jay and Nya as they boarded the bus. "Seniors! How's it feel?"

"I'm anxious, tired, scared, horri-" Nya pressed her hand against Jay's mouth, forcefully stopping the spout of negative words. They sat across from the blonde haired teen, who was still smiling expectantly.

"Ignore Jay. We're both very excited."

"You'll finally be free of high school," Lloyd said, his words ending in a sigh. "I've still got whole other year to go. It's not fair. They should let me graduate early. Having your father be the principal _and_ your mother be a teacher should be illegal. I don't know if I'll make it."

"Free of high school, sure, but then we have to go out into the _real world_." Jay shivered. "I'll take schedules and halls any day, over that!"

"I guess I can see your point. I just wish . . . Never mind" Lloyd said with a small shrug. He then turned back towards the window, slipping a pair of earbuds into his ears.

Nya turned to look at Jay, frowning. "You need to relax, Jay. Finishing high school is supposed to be exciting."

"Relax? Me? When have I _ever_."

"There's a first time for everything."

* * *

"Where's Nya?"

Jay sat in front of Lloyd, leaning forward to be heard over the ceaseless chattering in the cafeteria. Lloyd poked at the food on his tray, before looking up to answer. "She said she'd be at the gym. Signing up for soccer try-outs with her brother. Why?"

"It's. . ." Jay shook his head. "Nothing. Sorry. Private?"

"Ouch, I thought we were friends."

"We are! It's just, it's a secret, so I don't really want to _talk_ about it, it has nothing to do with you in particular or-"

"Is it about Cole?"

Jay froze, his cheeks instantly growing red with embarrassment. "What!? Did Nya say something about him? Why would you think _that_?"

"Because you've had a crush on him for years, and it's pretty obvious. She didn't have to tell me anything."

"It's obvious? Really?" Jay covered his face with his hands. "Do you think _he_ knows?"

Lloyd looked over to the table Cole was sitting in, eyes shinning with laughter as he shared a silly joke with the others around him. He turned back to Jay. "Probably not. I doubt he even knows you exist. You're pretty adamant about avoiding him."

"He makes me too nervous!"

"Well since I know about your little crush, can you tell me whatever you were going to tell Nya?"

"He's been in _all_ my classes so far!" Jay hissed, face still glowing with a stubborn blush. "What are the odds, right?"

Lloyd smiled. "Wow! That's amazing."

"No, it's horrible. What if we're paired up for. . . a project or something? And then I _have_ to talk to him? It'll be awful and he'll think I'm an idiot."

"He won't. He's nice." Lloyd shrugged.

"I _know_ he's nice but. . . gah! Nevermind. You wouldn't get it."

"Whatever you say, Jay." Lloyd shrugged.

With an overly dramatic sigh, Jay sunk onto the table, laying his head against the hard surface. There was only one year left of high school. All he truly wanted to do was to make it through it one piece. But it really seemed like the universe had other plans.

The more he thought about it, the more Jay realized he was actually glad Nya had skipped lunch. If he'd gone on to impulsively tell her every detail of everything as he usually did, she would no doubt try to push him to do _something_. Nya was the type of person that wanted action, and she wouldn't understand that there were simply some things that couldn't be done.

Sure, he'd spent a lot of nights clutching to a desperate daydream that fate would somehow entwine him and Cole together, but those were _daydreams_. Things he could control. Reality was a different case altogether.

Following this reasoning, Jay decided to keep Cole's schedule away from Nya when he saw her again. She waved at him from down the hall, moving through the mass of bodies. "Jay, guess what?"

"Hmm?" Jay continued to moved forward, forcing Nya to keep pace with him.

"I just came from history. Lloyd's mom is a sweetheart. She made us wear name tags." Nya laughed, pointing at her chest. A white sticker with the name _Nya_ stood out against her red shirt. "I made you one too! You know, so you'll be ready."

Without waiting for Jay to protest, Nya slapped a sticker onto Jay's shoulder. Jay turned his head. It read _motor-mouth._ "Oh thanks. You're so nice."

"You know I'm always thinking of ways to help a friend out," Nya winked. "Where are you off to now?"

"Math class. But I want to check out my new locker first. What with the stupid remodeling, they had to move a bunch of us. What's the point of changing a school? It's not like anyone comes here for the sights. Or they could have at least waited for me to graduate. Now I have to learn a whole new combination, a whole new locker number, a whole new location. "

"Wow. Sounds awful. Cruel, really."

"It is, thank you." Jay responded, ignoring the mocking tone in Nya's words.

"Well, this is my stop. I'll see you after school." With a nod of her head, Nya stopped by one of the classrooms. Jay returned the nod, then headed to his new locker.

Even with the combination for it clearly printed on the back of his hand, it still took him a couple of tries to succeed in opening it.

"Ha!" Jay laughed in victory. Someone else walked up to the locker next to him, and Jay tried to cover up the laugh by pretending to clear his throat. After staring at the empty space before him for a couple of moments, Jay shut the door.

Then he froze, barely holding a wave of hysteric laughter inside him. _Of course. Of course. Why not?_

Cole stood beside him, throwing an array of random snacks into his own locker. Jay found himself rooted to the spot, body suddenly unable to function properly. Ultimately, Cole noticed him staring.

"Oh hey, locker neighbor." Cole said, with a concerned frown, and an easy smile.

"That's. . . Yes," Jay grimaced, nodding slowly. "They moved me here. Because of the, you know the remodeling. So uh, I mean, hi back to you."

"Wait," Cole frowned, and Jay found himself taking a step back involuntarily. "Do I _know_ you?"

 _Oh?_ Jay blinked, his heart skipping a beat. Maybe Cole _did_ remember about the random kid whose nose he'd broken in fourth grade. And now they'd laugh about it together, instantly forming a quick bond that would-

"Oh yeah! You're in my second period, aren't you?"

Oh.

"First and third too." Jay said, before he could stop himself.

"Looks like we'll see each other quite a bit then." Cole frowned at something, his eyes squinting. "I'll look forward to getting to know you . . . motor-mouth?"

Jay turned towards the sticker, quickly ripping it off his shoulder and cursing Nya with every word he knew. He looked back up at Cole, mouth open, ready to spout a bunch of words that might or might not serve as an explanation for the nickname. But Cole was already heading down the hall.

Seconds later, the tardi bell echoed throughout.

"Wait! I! Ugh!" With a growl of frustration, Jay balled up the discarded sticker, angrily tossing it against the wall of lockers.

* * *

All in all, Jay could confidently say that the first day had been absolutely, positively, _horrible_.

It took him the rest of the day to recover from the sudden emotional rollercoaster that talking to Cole had taken him on, and with unfocused eyes and jittery hands, Jay didn't quite manage to make a good first impression with the rest of his teachers.

Senior year was truly building up to be the worst year yet. And Nya's stubborn excitement along with Lloyd's subtle jealousy was most definitely not going to help.

And of course, neither would the questions of his overbearingly caring parents.

"You can't just say school was _fine_." His mom shook her head. "I want details! Who are your teachers? Classmates? How's Nya? Lloyd? And eat your food, Jay! You're a growing boy. You need the calories."

"How about college? You make a choice yet, Jay? You should be getting a head start on the applications!" His dad said, making excited movements with the spoon in his hand. "I'm sure there are plenty of engineering scholarships you could find for yourself out there, why not take a look, son? I'm sure you could win more than a couple with those skills of yours!"

Jay forced a spoonful of his mother's broth down his throat. "I don't know the names of all my teachers yet. I do have Lloyd's mom for history. . . Nya's fine, same with Lloyd. And no dad I haven't figured out anything yet."

Knowing that the questions wouldn't stop as long as he was in the room, Jay did his best to finish quickly, ignoring the protests of his aching stomach. After washing his bowl, Jay skipped towards the door. "I'm just going to, um, take a look at the new things we brought in from the flea market. Might take a bit!"

Without waiting for his parents to answer, Jay stepped outside.

He didn't have any particular intention to do as he'd said, but for lack of anything better to do, Jay found himself looking through the piles of junk. He'd found the activity terribly exciting as a child, and he would be lying if he said he didn't still enjoy it now.

Most things he found seemed to be useless on their own. Broken parts, and broken objects, with no other purpose but to rust under the pressure of the elements.

"Huh. Well this is different."

Jay pushed aside a broken toaster, his fingers reaching for a small teapot. He held it closer to his face, examining the deliquiate carvings on the metal. It looked old. Very old, and very valuable, if a bit on the dirty side. There seemed to be a drawing of _something_ on the side of it, but the image was jumbled up, a piece twisted out of its original position.

With nonchalant curiosity, Jay twisted it into its rightful place.


	2. High Hopes, High Tension

Chapter 2-High Hopes, High Tension

For as long as he could remember, Cole had been stuck in a perpetual competition against himself.

In nearly everything he did, he sought ways to improve, ways to be better. He found himself constantly testing every limits. There was no ultimate purpose, no clear cut goal. At this point, Cole was sure that his actions were nothing more than pure habit. That, and the ever growing pressure of not disappointing every one around him.

It was exhausting, but it was _who he was_. If he ever so much as slipped, the whole world would stop and stare.

As these thoughts did their daily routine around his mind, Cole shut his eyes. Laying in his bed, he tried to lengthen the wavering moment in between last night's sleep and this morning's responsibilities.

For now, it was just him, in his room. No one to impress, no one to smile to, no one to hold him to any standards. For now he-

"Cole! I thought you were heading early today, to get back on track with that band of yours." His father's shout broke the peace.

"Yeah, dad!" Cole shouted back, sitting up and reaching for the clothes he'd set up the previous night.

And so began the impossible day of the impossibly exhausted Cole Brookstone.

He ate only a small amount of breakfast to humor his father's strict diet, despite the fact that his stomach begged for more. Then, Cole sent a text to both Kai and Zane, confirming their rehearsal this morning. Zane responded quickly. Kai was a bit slower.

 _I am already here. Will you guys be long?_

 _Yo, Cole, I'll need a ride if that's okay?_

Cole grimaced. Of course Zane was already there. Which meant no extra time to pick up some extra food for his grumbling belly. And of course Kai needed a ride. Which meant a slightly obnoxious detour.

He shut his eyes, forced the away his selfish complaints, and reopened them to reply.

 _Sure thing Kai. And we'll be there soon-ish_

He slid the phone into his pocket. After a quick good-bye, Cole got into his truck and drove through the familiar roads that would lead him into Kai's house. When he arrived, he wasn't too surprised to see his friend wasn't ready and waiting by the door. After shifting the truck into park, Cole pressed his hand heavily into the horn, the booming sound rattling through the silence.

In response, a window slid open. Kai's sister leaned out of it, smiling mischievously as she waved. "Hey Cole!"

Cole returned the wave. "Hey! Please tell me your brother is ready."

"Hard to say. You want to come inside?"

 _Not really. Just want to get going._ Cole thought the words, but he didn't let them slip out of his mouth. Instead, he prepared to agree. Before he could do so, however, Nya's face switched to a look of disappointment.

"He said he's coming."

With a relieved nod, Cole turned his attention away from the window. He scrolled through different radio stations, each playing something that was just as dull as the last. With a sigh, he turned the radio back off, making a mental note to buy CDs.

Kai hopped inside, jolting Cole out of his thoughts. "Hey dude. Sorry about that. I forgot to tell my parents about showing up early."

"That's okay," Cole shrugged. "So, last year of high school. How do you feel?"

"Ugh, I am _beyond_ ready. I should have graduated already! But no. Thanks to parents moving around, I wound up stuck in the same year as my baby sister." Kai sighed with a pout, turning to look out the window. "If I hadn't missed-"

Cole rolled his eyes, cutting off his friend's words. "I already know your oh-so-tragic story Kai. You say it every year!"

"Well it _is_ tragic, and maybe I like sharing it!"

"Given any thought to college yet?" Cole asked, eager to change the subject to something he _hadn't_ heard a thousand times before. "Dad's already picked one out for me. I guess it's fine. It's focused on performing arts so. . . Eh."

"I thought you didn't want to go to college."

"I don't." Cole shrugged. "But dad wants me to. "

"Well. . . I mean it's up to you in the end, isn't it?"

"Eh."

"Well," Kai said. "I haven't really thought much about anything. I guess maybe I'll go wherever Nya decides. I don't really have a very strong opinion about it. I just know that I want out of high school, baby. Live in a dorm! Experience that nice, classic college life."

"Might want to work on getting your grades up if you want to go wherever Nya goes. Isn't she like, a straight-A, honor roll student?"

"She's a show off, that's what she is." Kai said, but his tone was light and playful. "I'm pretty sure I can keep up. If I put the effort in."

"But _will_ you put the effort in?"

"Maybe! There's a first time for everything, eh?'

* * *

Despite Cole's best efforts, they didn't get very much done that morning.

Kai spent most of the time attempting to recreate every adventure and misadventure of his summer, and Zane, curious as ever, had probed with more questions that could possibly be necessary. By the time Cole managed to get his friends to actually _focus_ on the music, the bell announcing the start of the day echoed through the halls.

"Don't worry about it," Cole gave a nonchalant wave, although he shoved the sheets of music back into his backpack with more force than he'd intended. "We'll get set up better tomorrow."

"Cole, wait." Kai slung his backpack across one shoulder, standing to follow his friend. Zane moved quickly, easily keeping pace with them thanks to his tall frame. "I was thinking. . . Why not host a little back to school concert? My parents wouldn't mind. We could set it up in our yard!"

"Like, when?"

"Friday?"

" _Friday?_ " Cole began to shake his head, but Kai motioned him to stop.

"Look, we already know _some_ songs. Besides! Everyone knows we've been setting this band up for forever. People want to hear us! I'm sure some do, anyway. A back to school gathering would be the perfect debut for _Spin Harmony!_ "

"Kai is right." Zane nodded, making Cole groan inwardly. "We are capable of performing a good amount of songs in a decent quality. Perhaps it is time we give this a try?"

Cole bit his lip. He'd been purposely putting off performing for anyone other than themselves. If the band wound up being popular, that would only mean more eyes on _him_. Not to mention what his father's reaction would be. The man would surely go overboard, pulling strings here, shoving unwanted advice there. Overall, this would go from a fun after-school experience, to another activity for Cole to test and push himself in.

On the other hand. . . Both Kai and Zane seemed excited to do it. He couldn't keep leading them around in circles.

"Okay. Friday then. _But_ you guys both have to actually focus tomorrow."

Kai hopped, punching the air with a shout of victory. "Whoohoo! It's settled then!"

With a forced smile, he marched away from his friends.

* * *

 _Day's almost done_ Cole told himself, as he weaved through the busy hallway with purpose.

He'd snagged a considerable amount of snacks from the vending machine at lunch, so Cole was now taking a detour, to drop off the precious items at his locker. Someone else at the locker beside his, half hidden by the open door.

The guy beside him pushed the door shut, but instead of heading off to whatever class he was supposed to be in, he stood still as if rooted to the spot. When the seconds ticked forward and the guy didn't talk nor move, Cole turned to face him.

"Oh hey, locker neighbor." Cole said, trying to sound as nice as possible, but he could feel his face tugged down by a slight frown of concern.

The guy blinked himself back into the present moment, and away from whatever sort of thought he'd been tangled in. "That's. . . Yes. They moved me here. Because of the, you know, the remodeling. So uh, I mean, hi back to you."

"Wait," Cole frowned. The guy's unique mannerisms struggled to spark a memory within his mind. "Do I _know_ you?"

Cole watched as the guy's features slowly began to redden, making the scattered freckles across his cheeks all the more visible. There was a certain glow in his eyes as he waited for Cole's answer. "Oh yeah! You're in my second period, aren't you?"

"First and third too." The guy said a bit too quickly, the words tripping over his mouth. The weird glow quickly vanished from his eyes.

Now that the guy mentioned it, he could remember seeing him there,in the back of the classroom, doing his best to be as invisible as possible. But. . . There was something else. Yet hard as he tried, Cole couldn't pinpoint anything.

"Looks like we'll see each other quite a bit then." Cole finally said. He spotted a name tag stuck to the guy's shoulder, and he squinted at the scribbled letters. "I'll look forward to getting to know you. . . Motor-mouth."

The guy turned towards the sticker in a panicked motion. With a smile of amusement, Cole shook his head. He quickly turned away, trotting towards his class before the bell could beat him to it.

As soon as he stepped inside, the sound of it echoed through the hall.

* * *

"Have you chosen a song to perform in your school audition? The Marty Oppenheimer doesn't let in just _anyone_ , you know."

Cole hadn't even closed the front door, and his father had already begun the usual monologue of insane expectations.

"Just because I was a student there, and you're my son, does _not_ mean they'll go easy on you. In fact! They'll probably test you double. They'll be expecting great things from you."

Cole tossed his bag onto the living room, gaining a disapproving frown. "And you will, of course, deliver. You'll blow them away! Why don't we go look through some songs? I'll help you find the perfect fit for your voice. Then we can rehearse it together."

"You've been practicing your piano as well, yes?" Cole walked over to the kitchen, where his father followed. "I haven't heard you play in a while. You could play for me a bit after you come back from your dance lessons."

The pantry was filled with things Cole couldn't eat without cooking, and the culinary arts had never been his forte. Reluctantly, he opened the fridge. Labeled containers sat on an annoyingly organized manner. Cole reached for the one labeled with that day's date.

"Speaking of dance lessons, your teacher sent me a bunch of new recipes that will be good for keeping you healthy. Don't forget son, your body is a temple!"

He frowned at the food. The portions were too little, and the ingredients too healthy. With a resigned sigh, Cole began to eat, his mind drifting to the hidden treasures in his school locker.

"Anyway, we'll be leaving for your class at 6. Be ready then!" With a smile, his father patted Cole's shoulder before drifting away to a different part of the house. Cole felt himself relax instantly.

"My day was good today, thanks for asking." Cole said to one, while forcing another forkful of food into his mouth.

Once he'd finished his food, Cole gave a quick glance at the clock. He would have a little more than an hour of freedom. Good enough. He trotted up the stairs, taking two steps at a time simply because he could. Pushing the door of his room open, Cole crumpled onto the bed. He reached for his earphones, plugging them in to drown out the world.

As music pulsed into his body, Cole shut his eyes, looking forward to enjoying a good session of doing nothing. In the darkness behind his eyelids, a sudden, random image flashed.

Blue eyes. Freckled skin. A comically panicked expression.

Cole's eyes snapped open.

He was _sure_ he knew the guy.

Feeling like an absolute creeper, Cole rolled out of his bed, reaching for one of his desk drawers. After searching through the organized mess of different items, he recovered the yearbook from that past year.

He flipped to the end, searching through each of the pictures. Cole was surprised to see the guy and him were in the same year. He had pegged him to be at least a year or two younger than he was.

Cole's eyes slid to the side of the images, searching for a name to match the face of the familiar stranger.

 _Jay Walker_

Once again, his memory scrambled to reach for something, and once again, Cole wound up with nothing more than disappointment.


	3. Of Wishes and Djinns

Chapter Two- Of Wishes and Djinns

A sudden, violent puff of smoke enveloped Jay.

He coughed, dropping the teapot and using both of his hands to wave it off. The smoke dissipated far too slowly, blocking Jay's vison. He shut his eyes, and took a couple of steps back. With a sudden misstep, Jay stumbled back against the hard ground.

His head spun with the impact. A shadow block the sun above him. "Mom? I'm. . . Fine. What the _heck_ was in that teapot? It just exploded on-"

With eyes now open, he squinted at the figure above him. Jay quickly came to the conclusion that it was _not_ his mother. He was certain his mother did not have four arms. And as far as he knew, she'd always had legs, not a bizarre cloud of dust as the bottom half of herself.

"Nadakhan, at your service."

The creature (Thing? Man?) bowed after stating its name, waiting patiently for Jay's reaction.

Jay pushed himself onto a sitting position then rubbed the back of his head. "Must have hit it harder than I thought. Ugh."

Through a couple more blinks and a lot more focus, Jay realized that the creature was directly connected to the teapot. "You . . . came from _there_?"

"Indeed. And I may now-"

"Whoa! Wait, I get it." Jay said. "You're a genie! A genie of the lamp! Like Aladdin, right? "

"Djinn. I am a Djinn. As portrayed in the Arabian Nights."

"Isn't it the same thing?"

" _No_ ," The Djinn seemed momentarily aggravated by the statement, but with a shake of his head, the charming smile was painted back upon his features. "Regardless. . .You may now ask me for three wishes, which I will grant gladly."

"So." Jay smiled. "Basically a genie."

With clenched teeth, Nadakhan leaned forward. "You could wish to know the difference between a Djinn and a Genie. I believe it might be _helpful_."

"No, no." Jay shook his head, innocently unaware of the Djinn's frustration. His mind ran through the nearly endless possibilities. If this really _was_ real, and he was having a hard time believing it was, he had a precious chance to turn his life around.

But the more the possibilities grew, the more Jay realized it would be nearly impossible to dwindle everything he wanted down to _three_ wishes.

"I. . ." Jay bit his lip. The first thing in his mind had been Cole. What wish would make his crush. . . become _more_ than a crush? Should he wish for confidence? Charm? Or should he focus on making himself more attractive? Smarter?

For as long as he'd liked Cole, Jay realized he had absolutely no idea what the guy would actually _look_ for in a significant other. Heck, He didn't even know if he liked guys at all!

"I don't know," Jay finally said, and the Djinn barely contained an annoyed growl. "I'll have to think about it. See, there's this guy I like. But I don't want to like, say I want something, and he is totally _not_ into that kind of thing, you know? Then I would have ruined everything. . . I'm very good at ruining things. So I have to think this through."

"You could wish to know everything about him," The Djinn suggested, as Jay stood, reaching down to pick up the teapot. " Then you would be able to make the best decision."

Jay shook his head. "That's a little creepy."

"Why not wish for the confidence to ask what you need, then?"

That _had_ been one of his ideas. The Djinn had a fair point. Besides, confidence couldn't possibly hurt. He definitely needed more of the stuff either way. Jay opened his mouth.

Then his phone rang loudly, blasting the rhythmic tune he'd chosen as Nya's ringtone.

"Oh. One uh- one second." He smiled apologetically at the Djinn, who was more annoyed than appeased, and answered the phone. "Hey Nya! What's up? Actually, I have something to tell you. Well I guess I could tell you tomorrow before school. So I could actually _show_ you. So that maybe I'll know I'm not crazy. No you know what? Never mind. I _am_ crazy. Possibly. I don't-"

 _Um. Jay?_ I _called_ you _. Maybe you could let me say what I need to say?_

"Right! Sorry. What's up?"

 _This Friday? Kai set up their first concert. Kind of a "back-to-school" theme. He wants us to come. And we will. Then maybe you can talk to Coooole._

"Ah, uh- that's um." Jay felt his stomach bubbling, and he couldn't tell if it was nerves, excitement, or the simple mention of Cole's name.

 _I'm taking that as yes!_ Jay shook his head at the sound of Nya's cheery phrase.

"I didn't-"

The sudden silence in his ear let him know his friend had hung up. Jay pouted for a second, fidgeting with the phone before lowering it back into his pocket. His eyes remained unfocused for a moment, before finally settling back onto the Djinn.

"Right! You. A wish." Jay shook his head, trying to get his mind back in order. "What was I going to say?"

"You were going to wish for-"

"No, no. You know what? I think. . . Can I put this off? I mean, it's not like you've really got anywhere else to go." Jay tossed the teapot from one hand to another. "I'll get back to you on it. Now uh. . . Are you going to follow me around until I make the wishes or. . . Can I put you back on the teapot?"

With a not-so-soft growl, the Djinn reached forward, sliding the skull image on the trinket back out of place. In the blink of an eye, the Djinn's body disappeared.

Jay gave a soft whistle, staring at the rusted object.

* * *

The next morning, Jay couldn't stop thinking about the wishes.

Each minute of spare time he managed to scrape up before each of his classes began, Jay scrolled through different online articles, trying to accumulate as much information as he could about Djinns.

 _In Ninjago, the tales of Djinns hold many origins._ Jay read, hunkered down in the back of his second period class. Cole sat two seats in front of him. A fact that was both distracting and sweet. _Some claim the creatures to be made out of 'smokeless fire', bordering on the immortal range of supernatural creatures. Other stories, however, state that Djinns are very much human, and must eat and rest in order to keep themselves alive._

 _Djinns are always said to possess powers beyond comprehension, as they are able to accomplish anything, including reconstruction of specific timelines or bringing into reality what most would believe to be impossible._

He refrained from reading anything during lunch, suddenly unwilling to share the Djinn with Nya and Lloyd. For starters, Jay wasn't fully convinced he hadn't imagined the whole thing. Secondly, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear their thoughts and advice on the matter. Lloyd would most likely find a kind way to point out why relaying on magic would never work, while Nya would straight up state Jay was an idiot, and there were better ways to get what one wants.

After lunch, Jay avoided approaching his locker, in fear of creating another awkward moment between him and Cole. He would have more than enough chances to make a fool of himself come Friday.

 _Despite the fact that Djinns are regarded to have near god-like powers, there are certain limitations for what they can and cannot do. One may not use the powers of a Djinn to bring harm unto someone, and one may not use the powers to fabricate love._

"Well there goes the easy wish of making him fall for me," Jay muttered under his breath as he reached his final class of the day. He settled down as far from the front as usual, shrinking into himself as he continued to read.

 _In the many tales that Djinns appear in, they share a common personality. Djinns tend to enjoy deceit, taking advantage of the many meanings of words and twisting them in order to create a negative outcome. Some stories say that Djinns are simply jealous of the human race, or hold contempt because they can only use their powers on others, but never themselves. Other tales state that Djinns feed off of the souls of those who-_

"Interesting topic to be researching." The voice jolted every bit of Jay's body, sending the phone sprawling out of his hand. He turned quickly, coming face to face with Lloyd's mother. She straightened up, giving Jay a warm smile. "Any particular reason for it?"

"Not, Not really, no." Jay shook his head. "Just curious, Mrs. Garmadon."

"Hmm. I'm sure I've got a book _somewhere_ that talks about them. Specifically the Djinn tied to the 'Teapot of Tyrahn'. No one's ever found the actual artifact, but many ancient civilizations worshipped the object."

"Huh," Jay wondered if the teapot sitting in his backpack was the same one his teacher was speaking of. And he wondered what her reaction would be like if he were to show it off right then and there. "That's cool."

"If I come across it, I'll let you borrow it."

Jay forced a smile and gave a small nod of agreement.

"If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?"

Jay asked the question to both Nya and Lloyd as they boarded the bus together. Nya frowned as she thought of an answer, but Lloyd was quick with his. "I'd wish for my parents to not work at my school. Or any school. I'd wish they hadn't decided to become teachers. Did you know that my dad almost became a cop? Now _that_ would have been cool."

"I'd wish. . . To be the eldest sibling." Nya finally said. "Kai's so obnoxious sometimes, with his 'been there, done that' attitude. He's a _year_ older than me. Just _one_. But he holds it over my head like there's no tomorrow."

"And what about you?" Lloyd asked Jay, as he settled on a seat. "What would _you_ wish for?"

"And what's with the question?" Nya added.

"Just curious." Jay shrugged, clutching his backpack closer to his chest. He could feel the hard edges of the teapot against the blue fabric. "I. . . well I really don't know what I'd wish for, you know? There's so many things!"

"So many things wrong with your life, you mean?" Nya snickered.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Jay stuck his tongue out. "That's hurtful."

"I've got a wish for you. You could wish for something to happen at Friday's concert." Lloyd tried to give Jay a wink, which ended up looking more like a forced blink. "If you know what I mean."

"I could wish for you two to _not_ embarrass me." Jay muttered. His cheeks reddened at the thought of Lloyd and Nya nudging him towards Cole. "That would be a really useful wish. It would take quite the load of my mind."

"Oh _us?_ " Nya shared a secret look with Lloyd, before turning back to Jay with wide, innocent eyes.

"We would never, Jay." Lloyd said, with an angelic smile.

"We're your friends!"

"We would never do anything out of line."

"You know, maybe I _won't_ go Friday." Jay pouted, crossing his arms and turning away from his friends.

"You _have_ to." Nya poked her friend's side. "Jokes aside, Cole would be a good friend. This could be the last year you ever really get a chance to get to know him."

Nya's words rang with truth. Jay's stomach sunk.

"You'll probably regret it if you don't talk to him." Lloyd's voice was soft. "And whatever happens, we'll be here for you."

"I'll go, I'll go." Jay tried his best to sound annoyed, but his lips were widening into a smile. "But can you two please promise to behave? You know I _will_ freak out, and run away if things get crazy. Don't even test me on that."

"I promise." Lloyd gave Jay a small salute.

"Okay, I _promise_." Nya echoed.

* * *

Jay sat atop one of the many piles of junk strewn about the yard.

If he squinted hard enough against the sun, he could see the vague silhouette of Ninjago city in the distance. The shapes of the tall buildings were always awe-inspiring, sending chills through his arms as he imagined living within that world. But today, Jay's focus was on something else.

He stared hard at the teapot in his hand.

On and off, Jay had thought about the wishes he could make. The possibilities still seemed endless, but with the couple of things he'd learned about Djinns, Jay could say that he felt far less confident about making a good decision.

Lloyd's words had stuck with him. Wishing for _something_ to happen on Friday night. If something could tie Cole and Jay together for long enough, Jay would be able to trudge through the awkward phase and into. . . Well, into something _other_ than shyly avoiding Cole for the rest of his life.

Jay took a deep breath, chest rising and shuddering as he tried to clear his mind. Then with a determined flick of his wrist, Jay flicked the panels of the teapot into position.

The puff of smoke wasn't as violent as it had been before, and Jay managed to keep his balance. He waited for it all to dissipate, eyes squinting at the Djinn before him. He gave the creature a smile, which was not returned.

"Have you at last, come to a decision on your wishes?"

"Kind of," Jay nodded. "It's got to do with this Friday. There's going to be a concert, and the guy I like is going to be there. . ."

Nadakhan listened with impatience.

"So I know what I want is based around that. . ." Jay talked, more to himself than the Djinn, knowing he would ultimately arrive at a conclusion. "But what, you know? There's so many things, and not many wishes."

"Many possibilities indeed." The Djinn's voice was softer than before, as he leaned closer. "But not many will come close to becoming a reality if this guy of yours does not know you are there."

"Oh, he'll know." Jay said, but his voice was unsure. Just because they'd had one conversation did _not_ mean Cole was going to pick him out of a crowd. "Nya will probably try to introduce us."

"It is so hard to know what other people will do." The Djinn shook his head. "She could be preoccupied with other things."

"Well. . ."

"Wouldn't it be a shame to miss this opportunity to. . . _bond_ with this guy?"

The Djinn hovered close now. Jay's mind spun quickly, pressured to come up with an idea.

"There might be a lot of people there." Nadakhan's voice was silky and persuasive. Jay's eyes shifted. "Easy to miss someone in the crowd."

"Okay, Okay! I wish for Cole notice _me_ this Friday!" Jay finally spat out, eyes shut in a grimace.

In a mocking tone that made every part of the teen quake with nerves, the Djinn replied.

"Your wish, Is yours to keep."


	4. A Night To Remember

**Hey guys! Just a quick heads up, I'm starting classes next week, and while I'll do my best to keep to the update schedule I set myself, it could get a little funky if I get too busy.**

 **Good luck to everyone in the new school year!**

* * *

Chapter 4- A Night To Remember

Jay spent every waking moment regretting his wish. His words had left too many options open, and he didn't know which of the many possible scenarios panicked him most. Only one thing was certain. When Friday rolled around, his world would end.

It was just a matter of _how._

For the rest of the week, Jay kept the teapot securely hidden in the junkyard, as far away from himself as he could possibly place it. Wishes were dumb, taking a risk on a Djinn had been idiotic.

When Friday finally came, he spent every moment on edge. He hadn't specified for Cole to notice him at the _concert_ , so as long as the grey-eyed teen was near, anything was fair game. Jay did his best to stay as far in the background as possible.

The school day passed by without any sort of incident. So either Jay's strategy had worked, or the Djinn's powers had something much worse for him in store.

In the bus ride home, Jay could barely hear Nya and Lloyd's teasing remarks, nerves taking over most of his senses. He used all of his will and focus to keep himself together, knowing he was sure to burst otherwise.

The bus rolled to a stop near Nya's house, Jay followed her absent-mindedly, without noticing Lloyd did the same. It wasn't until all three of them stood on the sidewalk that he blinked hard in realization.

"You're not going home?" Jay asked.

"Wow, Jay." Lloyd said. "You really _don't_ listen to me, do you?"

"He's going to help us set things up." Nya explained, already walking to her house.

"Oh. Right."

They headed in together. Jay cleared his throat, tugging at his sleeves. "So when's um, Kai getting here?"

"You mean Cole," Lloyd smiled.

Jay ignored him, eyes trained on Nya, who gave a small shrug. "I think they're going to stay at school for a bit, to rehearse and whatever. So it's just us for now. Kai's going to owe me big time for not helping us."

"Oh thank the _stars_." Jay chuckled, instantly relaxing.

"Why are you so scared of being around Cole?" Lloyd asked. "I thought having a crush on someone meant _wanting_ to be with them."

"It's complicated." Jay shrugged, trying to wave off the subject.

"It's not! You're just _making_ it complicated it." Nya's mouth froze mid-lecture, as she studied her friend's features. She softened instantly. "Sorry. We said we wouldn't tease. We're here to back you up on anything."

"Thanks." Jay forced the word out, eager to move his mind away from Cole impeding doom. "So what do you need me to do?"

* * *

Friday came far too soon.

Cole's world had rushed forward, running to the moment his last safe haven would be put on the spotlight. Even his father's voice lessons, which usually seemed endless, came and went in the blink of an eye.

It was nice to see Kai and Zane both glowing with excitement, but pretend as he did, Cole just couldn't bring himself to feel the same way. At least he'd managed to keep the news of the concert away from his father's ears.

For now.

Sooner or later, Cole knew his father would find out. He didn't know _how_ the man did it, but he was always aware of anything and everything Cole ever did. Parental sixth sense, probably.

As the day wore into the late afternoon, Cole watched Kai become less excited and more anxious. He clutched his guitar like a life line, leaning against the back of the stage and muttering under his breath. Zane was by his side, gently patting his jittery shoulder.

"Your sister did a good job setting things up." Cole said, hoping he could distract Kai from the overwhelming nerves. "We definitely owe her."

"Yup." Kai's response was quick and short. His eyes shifted to Cole. "Um. When I said back to school concert, I expected like. . . twenty people at most. And now everyone in Ninjago High is crammed in my backyard!"

Cole peeked over the stage. There was a considerable amount of people to be sure, but nowhere near the proportions Kai was imagining. He looked back at his friend. "You're exaggerating, Kai. Besides, like you said before, we know these songs. Backwards and forwards. Just pretend we're in rehearsal."

"Yeah that's a bit hard to do with dozens of eyes staring at you." Kai said, voice sharp.

"Do you want to call it off?" Cole said, fighting to keep the hope from his voice.

Kai straightened himself. "Yes. . . No. I don't know. No?"

"It would be quite the disappointment if we were to tell all these people to head home. I do not think they would be very happy." Zane pointed out, very unhelpfully. Cole tried not to pout. "They do not expect us to be perfect, Kai. They are just here to have fun."

Kai sucked in a slow breath, willing his heartbeat to slow. "You're right. You're right. We're just having fun. Yeah."

"You good to go then?" Cole asked, placing a hand on friend's shoulder.

"Good to go? No." Kai said, but his lips were tugged up into a smile. A terrified smile, but a smile nonetheless. "But then again, if we wait for my nerves to pass we'll be here all night. Let's just go for it."

Together, they climbed onto the make-shift stage. For a brief second, Cole felt the nerves that had stripped Kai of his confidence, eyes sweeping through the yard. All those eyes _did_ seem overwhelming. Kai's backyard was practically bursting. Nya had done far too good a job of spreading the word.

Instead of stepping back, he stepped forward, flashing his practiced smile. "Wow, okay! This is a _lot_ more people than I was expecting. How many of you are here just for the free snacks?"

Only a couple of people snickered, and a couple of others jokingly raised their hands. Cole kept smiling either way. "So, I've never done anything like this before, and I have _no_ idea what to say so. . . Let's just get to singing."

He gestured to Zane and Kai, before turning back to the crowd. "So here's _Spin Harmony_ for you!"

* * *

While Nya kept her promise to not tease him, She still ushered Jay to the front of the crowd.

The moment she left him, however, Jay slinked back to find a safer spot to watch Cole's band from. He settled on standing on the side of the wobbly stage. It gave him a good view _and_ a safe haven from Cole's sight. Jay didn't know if there was any way to stop the wish from coming true, but he was sure as heck going to do his best to keep it at bay.

When Cole and his friends hopped up onto the stage, however, Jay's mind forgot everything.

Watching Cole sing was exhilarating. It didn't take long for the crowd to become enraptured by the music. The black-haired teen glowed with confidence and joy, completely immersed in the moment. His energy was contagious, spreading through the crowd like wild fire. The music continuously boomed throughout the yard, but Jay was barely aware of it. His mind was locked onto Cole, and Cole only.

A couple of lyrics managed to sneak into his buzzing mind, and Jay found them hilariously relevant. His lips spread into a somewhat involuntary smile, and he swayed with the rhythm of the song.

 _But somewhere in the world, someone is gonna fall in love by the end of this song_

 _So get up, get up_

 _No, it's never gonna let up so you might as well sing along_

As the chorus made its way back around, Jay gave a careless shrug and joined the voices in the crowd. He knew his singing was far from pleasant, but in this moment, it didn't matter. No one would care, and no one would hear.

 _The odds are that we will probably be alright_

 _Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight_

 _The odds are that we will probably be alright_

 _Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night_

And for one impossible instant, Cole's eyes shifted, somehow managing to find Jay's own.

Blue on grey, the connection lingered, sending goosebumps traveling along the side of Jay's arms. Still singing, Cole flashed a subtle smile towards him. The world stopped. Dazed and drowning in emotions, Jay took one small step back.

In an instant, the world began to move again, a chain of events snapping faster than the eye could see, as if making up for lost time.

Jay, having somehow wandered too close to the stage, tripped over a long cable.

As his body fell, the cable lurched.

At the other end of the cable, Cole's microphone followed.

Cole instinctively tightened his grip on the microphone, flying forward and landing face-first upon the stage.

Dozens of eyes snapped toward Jay.

"Whoa, what the heck dude?"

"Great move."

"Is Cole alright?"

"Oh man, that looked like it hurt."

Jay crawled backward before standing, ushering the cable away from him. His face burned brightly, and his eyes swam with tears as he ran into the house. No one stopped him, their focus quickly shifting to the damage he'd caused.

With the familiarity he'd gained after spending years in his friend's house, Jay ran up to Nya's room, throwing himself against her bed and screaming into the pillows. To his dismay, footsteps echoed up the stairs soon after, and two pairs of feet stumbled into the room.

"Hey, you okay?" Lloyd's voice.

"Jay?" Nya's.

He didn't respond to either. Was he okay? Were they _kidding_? Jay was sure the answer was more than obvious. He remained lying face-first against the pillows, eyes shut tightly to keep the tears from rolling.

"It was just an accident. In retrospect, we should have shoved all the cables beneath the stage or something." Lloyd said, still not helping. "That's on me. I didn't think about it."

"Mm mff mmm m mmmntt" Jay's voice was muffled beyond understanding.

"Er, we didn't catch that," Nya said.

With a grumble, Jay forced his face up momentarily. "I just need a moment."

"Like Lloyd said, it was just an accident. You didn't mean-"

" _Please_ , just give me a moment." Jay hissed.

Nya raised her arms up in defeat, before walking out of the room. Lloyd stood still for a couple of seconds before following. Jay lowered his face again, listening intently to the sounds outside the room. His mind unhelpfully replayed the accident from every possible angle, making the suffocating embarrassment grow stronger by the second.

He supposed he would have to apologize to Cole now. Excellent. Quite a way to get someone to notice you. Jay wondered if the Djinn knew the wish had been fulfilled. He wondered if the bitter creature was having the time of its life, laughing at Jay's misfortune.

Probably.

The music from Cole's band never picked up again, and Jay wondered just how much harm he'd caused. Far away muttering and shuffling let him know when everyone was leaving. Gossiping about the blue-eyed walking disaster, no doubt. Jay's stomach twisted.

When silence finally reigned, Jay forced himself to stand. He needed to get home.

He trotted down the stairs, heading to the sound of soft conversation. Jay wondered which alternative was better, to call for his dad to pick him up, or to ask one of Nya's parents to drop him off. Still weighing his options, he stepped into the kitchen.

Nya looked up instantly. The guy beside him was a bit slower to react, more focused with pressing an ice pack against his broken nose.

It took all of Jay's strength not to burst into laughter.

 _He'd_ broken _Cole's_ nose.

Nya's eyes shifted from himself to Cole, and a small smirk on her lips told him that she found the same humor in the situation.

"Hey. . ." When Jay finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. He wondered if his eyes were red. He really, really hoped they weren't. "Sorry about. . . That."

"No worries," Cole tried to smile, but grimaced instead. "It was. . . an. . ."

Cole's grimace deepened. Nya and Jay exchanged glances, before asking in unison. "Are you okay!?"

Instead of responding, Cole laughed. " _Jay_."

Jay blushed. Hearing Cole say his name made his heart jitter recklessly.

"Fifth grade? I broke your nose?" Cole chuckled again, then flinched at the ache it caused. "Guess we're even now."

"Fourth. . . actually." Jay could feel himself smiling. _He'd remembered_.

"Was this some sort of long, and intricately planned revenge?"

"No!" Jay shook his head furiously, oblivious to the joking tone in Cole's voice. "Of course not! I wouldn't. . . I didn't . . . It was an accident. It really was, I swear it!"

"Jay, he's kidding." This time, it was Nya's turn to laugh.

"I can't believe I didn't remember." Cole shook his head, moving the ice pack away from his nose. Jay frowned at the damage.

"Eh, Jay's forgettable like that." Nya smiled.

"Gee, thanks."

"Well, thank you for this." Cole turned towards Nya, waving the ice pack. "I should probably get home. My dad's going to be _overjoyed_ at my broken nose."

"Sorry. . ." Jay mumbled.

"No, I'm actually looking forward to seeing him panic," Cole said. "It'll be nice."

"Well if you're heading home. . ." Nya's voice was sly, and Jay knew _exactly_ what she was planning to do. He gave his head a small shake, glaring with as much strength as he could muster. She, of course, ignored him. "Why don't you give Jay a ride to his? You can bond over breaking each other's noses."

"That's not necessary." Jay shook his head a bit more frantically now. "I was just going to call my dad. He can pick me up. I live way in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn't want to. . . It's most definitely out of your way, I can promise you that."

"I don't mind." Cole shrugged, swiping his keys from the counter. "I could use a long drive. Don't quite feel like going home yet."

"Ahhh. . ." Jay searched for a good excuse other than _I don't want to embarrass myself in front of you any further_ , but he found none. So he let Nya guide him out of the house, keeping a couple of steps behind Cole. As he slid into his truck, Jay glanced at Nya. "I'm going to murder you, you know."

"Sure thing." Nya beamed, patting down a couple of Jay's wild curls. "Have fun."

"You said no teasing."

"I'm _not_ teasing. I'm ordering."

Jay scowled. Nya continued to smile.

With shaky legs, he got into the passenger seat, making himself as small as possible. Cole flicked on the radio to fill the silence, before turning to face Jay. "So, where to?"

Jay did his best to give directions to his parent's junkyard, doing his best to _not_ point out it was a junkyard. Once Cole grasped the basic idea of where to go, Jay grew silent, nerves getting the better of him all over again.

Cole didn't share the sentiment. His aura was relaxed and friendly. "Man. I can _never_ find anything good on the radio."

He reached over to change the station. Before he could stop himself, Jay's voice ran ahead without permission. "Don't!"

"What?" Cole stopped, the snickered. "You like this song?"

Jay turned towards the window, finding it easier to talk to his reflection than Cole's eyes. "Maybe."

"Really? _Heat of the Moment?_ "

"Hey, it's a classic!" Jay pouted.

"Okay, Okay." Again, Cole gave a small laugh. "So then, Jay, what _do_ you do when you aren't sneaking into concert's to break people's noses."

"I uh. . . Nothing. Not really. Not compared to all the things _you_ do." Jay hated the self-deprecating tone lingering in his voice, but it was an old habit. "I mean. . . Wow. You're impressive."

"I guess so." Cole shrugged. "But seriously, what do you like to do?"

There was something persistently kind and soothing about Cole's voice. Jay found himself relaxing. As long as his eyes were on the window, at least. "I like engineering. Me and my parents like making things together."

"What kind of things?"

"Anything, really." Jay shrugged. "There's a lot of spare parts in our junkyard. So our imagination's the limit! Dad's built jetpacks before. And our alarm system was designed and built from scratch by my mom."

"Junkyard?"

Jay shut his eyes, grimacing at his lack of thought. Well. If Cole was taking him home, he would have found out sooner rather than later. "Yeah. We. . . My parents own a junkyard. And that's where we live. . ."

"That's pretty cool."

"It is not!" Jay scoffed. "I hate telling people about it. I mean, why couldn't they just own a nice, normal little house? An apartment! Anything, really, I'm not picky."

"Normal isn't as good as it sounds." Cole's voice softened, and Jay risked a quick glance. There was a frown on his face, eyes clouding over with an unspoken thought. The look faded as quick as it had come, and Jay looked away as Cole's eyes brightened. "Really, growing up in a junkyard sounds _far_ more interesting than anything I've ever done."

Although Jay wanted to disagree, he refrained from speaking, watching instead the bright lights from the junkyard grow closer and closer. Cole rolled to a stop just outside the entrance. Jay snapped off his seatbelt, eager to shoot out and regain a stable heartbeat.

"Thank you," Jay mumbled, eyes still lowered. "And sorry. Again."

"Like I said, we're even." Cole sounded like he was smiling, but Jay didn't dare to look. "See you at school?"

"See you at school."

* * *

 **Song used is "Odds Are" By Barenaked Ladies. I found it thanks to evelinaonline and it's really good, you guys should give it a listen!**


	5. World Upside Down

Chapter 5- World Upside Down

Jay did his best to keep his walk straight as he moved into the junkyard.

As soon as Cole was fully out of sight, however, Jay gave in to the whirlwind of feelings within him. He gave a victorious shout, pumping a fist in the air before sinking onto the ground. He laid back upon it, facing the stars.

"Wow." The single word captured everything. The ups, the downs, and the unrest in between.

All in all, the Djinn's wish had worked. Had it been unnecessarily rough? Yes. But had he _taken a ride home with Cole and actually held a proper conversation?_

Also yes.

"Jay?"

The sound of his father's voice jolted him into the present. Jay quickly sat up, wobbling a bit before managing to stand. He gave his father a small smile, brushing dirt from the back of his head. "Oh. Hey dad! I'm um. I'm home. It's not too late, right?"

"I was just heading out to pick you up. How did you get here?"

"I got a ride from, uh, this. . . Kai's friend." Somehow, saying Cole's name aloud had become an impossibility.

"Oh, well. You should have let me know! But I'm glad you're home. How did everything go?" His father flashed him a knowing smile, elbowing him on the side as they walked together. "That look in your eyes is familiar. I remember looking the same way when I finally gathered up the courage to talk to your mother! So? Are you gonna spill the beans?"

"Er. . ." A deep blush coated Jay's cheeks. His eyes shifted down. "Nothing _happened_ I just, I had fun that's all. It was a good time."

"Sure, sure. Was it Nya? I've always liked the girl."

"It was not." Jay flinched at the suggestion, fingers fidgeting as he searched for a way out of the conversation. "It really was nothing, Dad."

"Hmm. . . Well, I suppose I'll drop it. For now. You need to head off to bed, we're waking up early tomorrow! Taking a trip to the city to sell some things."

"Sure, alright." The prospect of an early Saturday morning was unpleasant. He knew his mind had no intention of sleeping. But it handed him a great excuse to hide out in his room, instead of dancing around conversations of his love life.

Not that he _had_ a love life. It had been one ride. One. Cole would probably go on through the weekend without sparing him a second thought. There was _no_ love life.

Before rushing to his room, Jay retrieved the teapot from its hiding spot. He didn't plan on making another wish, but he felt an urge to thank the Djinn for how things had turned out. Despite all he'd read, maybe this one wasn't so bad after all.

Nadakhan's body took shape from the fireless smoke, flashing a pompous smile down at Jay. "Oh, are you ready for your second wish now? Hmm, let me _guess_ things didn't quite turn out the way you'd hoped? And you'd like to re-do it all?"

"No," Jay shook his head, too joyous to notice the Djinn's sinister tone. "Well, I mean, things _could_ have gone better but. . . Thank you! He actually gave me a _ride_. I mean it was mostly due to Nya but. . . Still. _And_ he remembered me. I can't believe he remembered me."

"Ah." The Djinn frowned. "Then what _is_ your second wish? To spend more time alongside him?"

"I don't have one yet. I just wanted to thank you."

"Well you shouldn't have." The Djinn said. "I am here to grant wishes, not to be your _friend_."

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with being friends, right?" Jay chuckled, and the Djinn cast him a menacing glare. ". . . Or not. Or not. I just thought it would be nice to say thank you. _Sorry_ for having manners."

Jay tried to keep silent, but unspoken words bubbled in his throat until he had no other choice but to speak. "And I just. . . well I don't want to rant to Nya about this, because she'll just _push_ and then, Lloyd, well Lloyd's nice but if I tell _him_ and not Nya, then it'll be a mess, but I have to tell someone, you know?"

"Why not _wish_ for some company?"

"At this hour? I don't think anyone would be too happy to be summoned into a tiny trailer. Besides. I don't want to talk to a stranger."

" _I_ am very much a stranger." Nadakhan pointed out. "You do not know me."

"Yeah but. . . " Jay shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, you're so. . . far removed from everything, you know? So it's like. . . Having a magic friend you can carry around everywhere. Also, come _on_. You've been trapped in that teapot for eons. You can't tell me you didn't get a little lonely."

"I prefer solitude to endless, _wishless_ mutterings."

" _Fine_ then." Jay pouted, twisting the teapot and resealing the Djinn inside.

He juggled it from one hand to another, before ultimately tossing it into his backpack.

Jay moved up to his bed, turning on his side. His mind was all but quiet, keeping sleep stubbornly at bay. But for once, Jay's late night thoughts weren't filled with negativity, and he found that he didn't mind them much at all.

This year was gearing up to be different. And maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

At the first red light, Cole's eyes traveled to his phone.

Without unlocking it, he was able to see all he needed to. A missed call from his dad. And 7 unopened text messages. Also from his dad.

He could call back. He _should_ call back. It was what a good son would do. His father was clearly worried. Cole was never out very late. And he was excellent about giving his dad updates.

But the moment he called, would be the moment the perfectly good night would end. All would snap back to the usual grind of responsibilities and challenges. Cole wasn't ready to give up the momentary freedom just yet.

So he pushed the phone away from him, and focused on the drive.

The pain in his nose had dulled now, dimming back into nothing more than a stubborn ache in the back of his thoughts. Since they were too busy focused on the guy who'd done it.

Cole still couldn't believe he'd forgotten about Jay.

After the first nose-breaking incident, the two of them had hung a couple of times. Cole didn't remember anything in specific, just the general feeling that he'd enjoyed Jay's company very, very much.

Life had somehow managed to keep them apart, but they'd wound up in each other's paths nonetheless.

And Jay's company was still as pleasant as ever.

Granted, they hadn't exactly had a long, deep conversation about anything in particular but. . . There was something extremely pleasant about Jay's absolutely genuine attitude. Unlike Cole's, his feelings weren't deeply hidden between a hundred or so layers of pretend perfection.

He wanted nothing more than to know more about the ever-so-expressive Jay Walker.

With this realization, he pulled up to his house. The lights in the living room stood out even against the thick curtains. With a steely breath to prepare himself for whatever was to come, Cole hopped out of the truck.

House keys jangled uselessly from his hand. There was no need from them, as his father was already waiting by the open door, arms crossed over his chest. His face was tightened into a look that was even _more_ disapproving than usual. A look that Cole found amusing. But now was no time to laugh.

"Heyy dad." Cole said, voice was numbed by the weight of the broken nose. His father picked up on the off-sounding syllables instantly. His look of disappointment twisting into one of bewilderment. "I'm home. Sorry I didn't call you back. I figured it would be better if I just hurried home."

"What _happened_ to you?" His father stepped forward, every movement grand and dramatic. He took Cole's face in his hands, inspecting the broken nose. "What _were_ you doing?"

"It's nothing. We can get it fixed up no problem."

"That is not what I asked, Cole!" His father scoffed, then shook his head, muttering to himself intelligibly. "Have you put some ice on it? It looks a bit swollen. . . Just, just come _in_."

Cole was half dragged inside. His father dropped him off in the living room, ordering him to sit while he retrieved an ice pack. Once he returned, he placed the pack in Cole's hand, them moved Cole's hand so the soothing coolness was pressed against his skin.

"I _did_ put some ice on it. It must have gotten worse while I drove here. But really, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad. . . Ha! Cole, you know you have to take care of yourself!" His father shook his head, placing a hand against his forehead. Again, it was difficult to keep a straight face. "So are you going to tell me what happened or will I be forced to ask a third time?"

Cole shrugged, hoping to lead his father into a rant that would result in the man forgetting the question altogether. But his father remained silent, watching patiently. "I just fell. Accident."

"Fell from _where_?"

"Just. . ." Cole groaned. He hated lying, and he knew he wasn't going to. He'd never been able to keep up with lies. "Just fell onto a stage."

"Stage." His father shook his head. "Would you stop giving me short answers and _explain_ the whole thing, please?"

"We had a little concert in Kai's backyard. No big deal. And I fell. Also no big deal. That's it. That's why I was late home, and I'm sorry about that. Now I'll love to get some sleep if that's-"

Cole had been attempting to slyly make his way out of the living room, but his father placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from going too far. Cole turned around to face his father again reluctantly.

"A concert? And I didn't know about this?"

"It wasn't anything big." Cole did his best to look innocent. "Now please Dad, I'm tired."

"Wasn't anything big? Ha! I doubt it. If there's anything I've managed to teach you, is to always, always go big! I wish I had been there to see it. But well. I suppose I would have been a bit out of place."

"A bit."

"Bring your friends over some time. I would love to hear you three perform. I bet I could give you some pointers. I was in a band when I was younger as well, you know. I've got some experience you kids could use." His father smiled and gave a nod, more to himself than to Cole. "You could even listen to some of our old songs! I'm sure they'd serve as inspiration. I would have asked you to bring them earlier, but I wasn't sure your friends were up to par to perform. But if they've done so already!"

And just like that, _Spin Harmony_ was out of Cole's hands.

* * *

"So, be honest. How do I look?"

Jay's eyes traveled up. Cole stood in front of him, a thick bandage stuck over his nose. He smiled, and Jay's heartbeat rose. "You look like someone broke your nose."

"Taking the easy answer, huh?" Cole said, shaking his head. "Well, I'm sure I still look stunningly handsome."

Jay gulped, lowering his eyes. He wished Cole didn't have to joke with words that hit so close to the truth. Thankfully, the bell rang before Jay could say anything that would send him into an early grave due to embarrassment. Cole walked off to his own desk, leaving Jay jittery with nervous energy.

Through the first half of the day, Cole kept throwing small comments and questions in Jay's direction. It was both amazing and nerve wrecking. For the most part, Jay couldn't do much more than nod like an idiot. He found that it was useless to try and use one's brain when Cole was flashing that ridiculously charming smile of his.

And during lunch, the impossible happened.

Instead of heading off to their usual, overly filled table, Cole, Kai, and Zane slid into the empty seats where Jay sat. He looked up from his phone with a smile, expecting to see his friends. Instead, the expression froze on his face, turning into one of fearful confusion.

"Hey," Cole said, and Jay blinked.

Nya and Lloyd arrived just in time to save Jay's skin, sitting on either side of him. Nya raised an eyebrow at her brother. "So what's with this?"

"What do you mean? Can't I sit with my sister?" Kai said, talking through a mouthful of food. Nya grimaced at the sight.

"You just usually don't."

"Cole wanted to change things up." Kai shrugged. Nya's eyes flickered to Jay, who was intently staring at the unappetizing lunch before him.

"I wanted to thank you, for helping us out Friday. You did a great job." Cole said, and Zane nodded enthusiastically beside him.

"Oh!" Nya smiled. "It wasn't just me. They helped too."

She signaled over to Jay and Lloyd. Jay looked up, and Lloyd held out a hand to shake Cole's, eyes glinting mischievously. "We haven't officially met, but I've heard lots about you. I'm Lloyd."

"Good things right?" Cole chuckled. "Well it's nice to meet you."

"And I am Zane." Instead of offering his hand to shake, Zane gave a courteous nod. "I do not think I have officially met any of you. But I have seen you through the years."

With introductions thankfully out of the way, Jay lowered his eyes again. He was extremely aware of every one of his movements. Logically, he knew Cole could have cared less about Jay's actions, but the teen's mind was convinced his crush judging his every move.

Cole was the first to speak again, as he snapped open a bag of salted chips. "So, I was wondering if you guys wanted to hang out? It feels kind of weird that you three helped us set up our first concert, and aside from Nya, I barely _know_ you, you know?"

"I'm down for anything!" Lloyd beamed.

"That could be cool. It's not like we do much." Nya said, eager to jump at any opportunity that would put Jay and Cole together.

"I do stuff." Jay said, voice cracking as he struggled to speak up. "Sometimes. I don't know if. . . I'd have to ask my parents. Sometimes I help them with . . . things."

"Well I'm sure we can figure something out," The determination in Cole's attitude made Jay's stomach flutter.

He bit his lip, trying to keep his mind from spinning off into wild theories. _He does_ not _like you, he just wants to say thank you! It's a perfectly normal response. Stop overthinking._

"Definitely." Nya nodded. She slipped her phone out of her pocket expertly, mind already working on the perfect plan. Jay was both grateful and annoyed. "Why don't you and Zane give me your numbers? I'll make us a group chat."

"Good call!" Cole seemed _just_ as eager as Nya. It was dizzying.

Numbers were exchanged. Jay stared at his phone in sheer disbelief, looking at the contact that now said _Cole_. Last Monday, Cole had barely had any idea that Jay existed. And now?

Now he had Cole's number.


	6. The Consequences of Endless Babbling

Chapter 6- The Consequences Of Endless Babbling

"Whoa, check it!"

Lloyd slid down from the mountain of junk, a rusted gun in his hands. It was old, resembling something out of a western. Lloyd tipped an imaginary hat, before speaking in a horribly embarrassing accent.

"This town here ain't big'nugh for da' both of us."

Jay burst into laughter. Nya rolled her eyes. "I thought you were _helping_ us, Lloyd."

"I _am_ ," Lloyd said, tossing the broken gun back into the pile. "It's just hard to find anything made of copper. Everything is so rusted! It all looks the same."

"You're just not trying hard enough," Nya said, pointing at her growing pile of copper objects. "The sooner we're done, the sooner Jay's parents will give us some sweet, sweet cash."

"Wish they gave _me_ cash." Jay pouted. His own copper pile was larger than Nya's. He was an expert when it came to sorting, due to years of experience. But it all came with no reward.

"They feed you, and they give you clothes." Lloyd pointed out. "I'm pretty sure raising you cost a lot more money than you'd think."

"Yeah but. . ." Jay shrugged. "Nevermind. Let's just get this over with so we can go inside. I'm melting."

They continued, until Jay's mom finally approached and herded them inside. She gave both Nya and Lloyd a nice and crisp twenty dollar bill each, then poured glasses of ice cold lemonade.

Jay finished his in three long gulps. " _Best_."

Nya did the same with her own drink. " _Lemonade._ "

Lloyd shook his head, sipping the drink slowly. "Ever heard of making things last?"

"Ever heard of I was _dying_ of _dehydration_?" Jay snapped back, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

"You weren't dying."

"You don't know my body!" Jay shook his head. "I was dying. I could feel it. But I didn't want to say anything. Since we were almost done."

"Oh please." Nya snickered. " _If_ you were actually dying, we wouldn't ever hear the end of it. You'd complain and whine right up to your very last breath."

Jay squinted his eyes, getting ready to formulate a clever response. Before he could do so, a synchronized buzzing rippled through the room, as all three of their phones went off at the same time. Lloyd reached his first.

"It's Cole!"

Jay tried to keep his cool, but he was sure both Nya and Lloyd could see his fingers shaking. He opened the message.

 _How about the mall, after school? We could eat something. When does it work for you guys?_

"Eating something," Lloyd smirked, exchanging glances with Nya.

"Together." She responded.

"It's a date!" They both said together, before elbowing Jay and bursting into fits of laughter.

Jay rolled his eyes, but acting like he didn't care did not calm his wild heartbeat. "It's _not_ a date. Date means two people. He just wants to hang out! To thank us, and whatever."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty determined to make it happen." Nya batted her eyelashes. " What _did_ you two talk about when he drove you home? You got him head over heels for you!"

"I don't! We didn't talk about anything. Not really. He's just a nice guy. Like you guys said." Jay shook his head. "That's all."

"That's. . . All." He repeated forcefully to himself.

* * *

Things were settled for Wednesday after school.

Since they couldn't all fit in Cole's pickup truck, they'd agreed to meet at the mall. Jay's feelings were a constant, perfect balance between excitement and anxiety, the later sparking up to the extreme as school drew to a close.

And Cole? He was _so_ relaxed. _So_ nonchalantly pleased about the upcoming plans. It made Jay more jealous than he'd ever admit. He would give anything to have such a handle on his own emotions.

Lloyd's mom had agreed to give them a ride to the mall. Which was another contributing factor to the rising anxiety. Teachers were. . . Teachers. Sure, of _course_ he knew they were people with lives and families, but it still felt weird and out of place to _see_ them live such lives.

Jay had no idea how he was supposed to act.

"Thank you for the ride," Nya was the first to break the silence. Always knowing what to do in any situation, as per usual.

"It's no problem! I'm really happy to meet you two. I'm glad you're sticking with my kiddo. He's always had a hard time with making friends."

Lloyd groaned from the passenger seat. Jay could easily picture his friend's grimace. "I'm okay at making friends."

"I just . . sometimes you aren't terribly good at _keeping_ them."

"Thanks, mom."

"Well, I mean, what happened to Brad? He was a nice kid."

Jay and Nya exchanged glances. They'd never heard that name before. Which wasn't _too_ odd, with Lloyd being as reserved as he was. But it sparked curiosity nonetheless. Nya leaned forward in her seat, poking at Lloyd's shoulder. "Who's that?"

"He. . ." Lloyd shook his head. "He just wasn't as nice as I thought he was, that's all. We haven't talked in years."

"And what about Gene?" Lloyd's mom continued.

"Gene!?" Lloyd scowled at this. Jay made a mental note to question his friend about these two later. "Mom, Gene was _never_ my friend. He was the worst! Pigeon-brained teacher's pet is all he was."

"Well, he came over once. I thought you two were close."

"It was a _school_ project."

"Hmm." Lloyd's mom shrugged. "Either way, thank you for being friends with Lloyd. He's just not good with people. Takes after his father on that aspect."

Lloyd shook his head, but provided no argument.

They arrived at the mall soon after. Jay and Nya exited together, after showering Misako with a wave of thank-you's. Lloyd opened his own door, scrambling to exit the seat.

"Aren't you going to kiss your mother good-bye?" She teased with a knowing glint.

" _Bye_ , mom." Lloyd shook his head, shutting the door and trotting towards his friends. "So. Are the others here yet?"

"Yup. Kai just texted me." Nya smirked at Lloyd as they walked, barely concealed chuckles slipping from her lips every so often. "Your mom is so incredibly nice Lloyd, we should totally go over to your house sometime."

"Ha-ha, yeah you wish." Lloyd rolled his eyes. "No. My house is off limits."

"Oh c'mon." Jay, glad to _not_ be the object of teasing, joined Nya. "Brad got to go. And _Gene_."

"Exactly!" Nya shouted.

"By the way who _are_ -"

Luckily for Lloyd, Jay's question was never finished. It was abruptly cut off as he spotted Cole, waving at them from one of the tables at the food court. Jay waved back sheepishly, and Nya lead them forward.

"You guys already got food!" She scowled. "No manners."

"Well, you were taking a long time! And Cole was hungry." Kai shrugged.

"Right. Sorry. Mom had to do a couple of things before she could bring us. So. . . Sorry." Lloyd explained, his fingers tapping against the table's surface. A nervous habit that was all too familiar to Jay.

So maybe Lloyd _wasn't_ all that comfortable around people. Huh. Jay hadn't ever paid much attention.

"There is no need for an apology. It was truly not that long. " Zane spoke up. There was only empty space on the table before him. So either he hadn't bought anything, or he was an amazingly fast eater. "And Cole is always hungry."

"Amm mmot." Cole protested, with a mouthful of food.

Kai grimaced, shoving his friend to the side. "Gross dude."

Cole swallowed. "I'm _not_ always hungry."

"You are always hungry in the morning." Zane pointed out.

"And in between periods." Kai added.

"During lunch."

" _After_ lunch."

"Okay, okay. So I like eating. No big deal." Cole shrugged. He looked away from his friends and towards the others, briefly making eye-contact with Jay. "You guys going to get anything?"

"I got us." Lloyd said, hopping up eagerly. "You guys stay here."

The green-eyed boy exchanged a quick look with Nya, before scampering off. Jay looked from Nya to Lloyd, hoping they weren't planning anything. Yet knowing they most certanly were.

"How long you gonna have your nose bandaged up?" Nya asked.

"Just a week." Cole shrugged. "As I expected, dad wasn't too happy about it but, eh, he isn't too happy about anything."

"Which is _why_ I've told you, you need to talk to him!" Kai said. "Say 'Hey, dad, I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to write a script for the rest of my life. Cool, thanks.' Then you two hug it out, and bamm! Problem solved."

"It's fine." Cole said, but Jay caught the flash of emotions in his eyes that hinted at the opposite. The glimpse was gone as soon as it had come, swiftly replaced by the charming kindness that they usually radiated. "He means well. He's just a little overbearing sometimes."

"Sometimes, he says." Kai scoffed.

"I do believe if something is not sitting right with you, you should talk about it." Zane turned to face Cole as he spoke. "Communication is a very important part of a good relationship."

Cole cleared his throat. " _Anyway_ , school is a thing. Anyone got anything to share about school?"

"I'm glad it's our last year." Nya whooped.

Lloyd returned as she did so, setting down the food he'd bought for him and his friends. "I _wish_ it was my last year."

 _Wish, huh?_ Jay smiled to himself. _You want to try and say that again? I have a magic Djinn in my backpack_

He refocused on the present moment, realizing that Cole's eyes were now on his. The smile on Jay's lips quickly turned into an awkward line. Cole either didn't notice the change or pretended not to. Instead, he gave Jay a smile of his own. "You're awfully quiet."

"Me?" Jay gulped, holding back the urge to smash his head against the table. _Yes, of course,_ you, _who else would he be talking to with his eyes on yours?_ "I'm just-. . . I'm hungry. That's, that's all."

He quickly began shoving food into his mouth, eager to have _something_ to do, other than sit and stare blankly at his crush. "Thanks, Lloyd."

"A friend that buys their friends food is _literally_ a saint." Nya held up her hand for Lloyd to high-five. "Thank you, indeed."

Lloyd accepted Nya's gesture. "You guys owe me next time."

They ate in silence for the most part, too focused on enjoying the tasty calories to worry about much else. Once the food had gone, Nya was the first to speak again. "Oh! Kai? Lloyd was wondering if you would show him what you use for your hair and stuff."

"Right, right." Lloyd nodded, and Jay saw him and Nya exchange glances again. Knowing, mischievous, and _terrifying_ glances. "I really like how it looks. I'd like to try some new things!"

"Oh?" Kai blinked, looking from his sister to Lloyd, as if expecting them to burst out laughing and say it was all a big joke. When they didn't, he allowed himself to beam. "Sure, dude!"

"Awesome," Lloyd smiled, guiding Kai away from the group. Their voices soon faded away in the crowd. Jay opened his mouth to suggest an activity that would involve the four of them left, but Nya was quicker.

"Zane, I _really_ need to know where you buy your shirts. There's something about that style that I just _love._ " She stood. "Could you show me?"

"Of course. " Zane, polite as ever, stood. They drifted away.

And then there were two.

Jay shrunk further into the seat, fingers fidgeting with one another. "Well then. . . They sure had. . . things to ask. . ."

"Is this the part where _you_ ask me random advice on a random subject?" Cole raised an eyebrow. "That all seemed pretty rehearsed."

"It probably was," Jay muttered under his breath.

"Huh?"

"I said, I don't have questions." Jay lied. "I guess we could. . . wait for them?"

"Pft." Cole shook his head, pushing back his chair to stand. "Nah. We can find something to do too. Who knows, maybe you can give _me_ advice on something."

"Me?" This time, it was Jay's turn to shake his head. "Give _you_ advice? Haaa. . . that's funny."

"Why's it funny?"

"Because. . ." Jay's nerves grew with each step. It was one thing to talk to his crush in a car, with space between them and the safety of a reflection to keep himself nice and detached. But now, they walked side by side. It would take no more than a misstep for their hands to brush against one another. "Because you're Cole Brookstone."

"And?"

"And. . . you know. . . you're. . . the guy who can do anything. You know?" Jay shook his head. "I don't think there's anything you'd need help with. Most of all not from someone who barely has his life together."

There was that self-deprecating tone again. Jay wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall.

"You seem to think you know an awful lot about me," Cole said. "Considering we met a couple of days ago."

"Correction. We met in fourth grade. Technically. So maybe I know you pretty well." Jay couldn't believe he'd said that. But he didn't get any time to regret it. Cole was laughing softly, and Jay realized he was willing to say _anything_ to hear him do that again.

"Touché." Cole's laughter dwindled.

"So why, um, why'd you want to start a band?"

Cole thought for a couple of minutes, before responding. "If I tell you, you've got to answer a question of mine. We've been talking about _me_ an awful lot. I'm going to start thinking you're just a spy trying to milk me for personal information."

"Oh I just don't- I mean, there isn't much to say about me."

"C'mon, _Jay_."

"O-okay." Jay blushed. "But don't say I didn't warn you. I'm as boring as they come."

"I started a band because I wanted to be able to sing things that didn't involve a lot of rules. I wanted to just. . . have fun. And I do! Well, I did." At the shift in Cole's voice, Jay risked glancing away from the floor and towards him. "But now that my dad has gotten wind of our performance, It'll be another thing for him to take charge of."

"Why does he-"

"Ah, Ah, ah!" Cole waggled his finger before Jay. "It's my turn."

"Okay." Jay tugged at the sleeves of his blue jacket. "Shoot?"

"Do you-"

"There you are!" Nya popped in between Cole and Jay, putting her arms around each of them and pulling them close. For a moment, Jay felt the warmth of Cole's hand against his own. It sent a rattling shock through him.

"Done so soon? I'm guessing Zane was pretty straight-forward. As usual." Cole chuckled. They stopped walking, and Nya let go of them both.

"Well of course. She had a simple request." Zane joined the small group. "It did not take long."

"So what did _you_ guys do?" Nya said, and Jay squinted his eyes at her.

"We walked a lap around the mall with no actual purpose," Cole said. "We were talking."

"Sounds nice." Nya's teasing smile was too much. Jay elbowed her side.

It only caused her to laugh. "Well, we'd better find my brother. He could talk for _hours_ about hair products. Lloyd's most likely in need for a rescue."

"The sad part is you're not even kidding." Cole laughed. Jay was momentarily jealous at the way his eyes lingered on Nya's. "Let's save that poor kid."

* * *

The moment Jay was alone in his room, he fumbled for the lamp.

Nadakhan emerged, both pairs of arms crossed over his chest. "Oh, let me guess. You are not going to make a wish."

"Not _yet_." Jay plopped himself back against the bed. "I just. . . gah! I saw Cole today. We all hung out together. And I _guess_ I did okay? I didn't embarrass myself too much. But that's probably _because I barely talked_. Unlike Nya."

"You know, why not wish for a friend?" Nadakhan sighed in annoyance. "I do not enjoy being a teenager's living diary. Djinn's are for wishes."

"She's just _so_ confident. So sure of herself! Gah!" Jay ignored Nadakhan's words, too enraptured in his own self-pity. "And me? The _literal_ opposite."

"We have been through this before." The Djinn sighed. "A wish for confidence. . ."

"I've only got two wishes. I've got to think them through. No more panic-wishing. I'm going to make these count." Jay nodded to himself. "Yeah. I need a plan. A good plan.

"But _what_ , you know? Like what's my end goal?" Jay's words didn't leave enough of a pause in between to allow Nadakhan to answer. "Dating? I don't. . . That seems too surreal. I mean _sure_ , That would be great but. . . the possibilities? Low, low, low.

"I mean, being friends would be cool. Good friends. So I could. . . just spend time with him. But friends. . . he's got so much more to offer than I do. He's calm, and smart, and reliable, and fun, and kind, and _perfect_. Not even kidding! Not even exaggerating.

"And I'm over here, being a mess all the time. I have absolutely nothing to give! Heck, _I_ probably wouldn't want to be my friend. So it's just. . . Really intimidating, the way he's . . . The way he's just so. . .

"All in all, I just, I wish everything about his life wasn't _so_ utterly perfect, you know?" Jay shut his eyes, rubbing his forehead. "Why did I have to end up liking the one guy that'll be perpetually out of my reach?"

"Your wish, is yours to keep."

Jay jolted up, his eyes snapping open in an instant. He replayed his own words in his head. "No, no, no. That wasn't a wish! I mean I _said_ wish but I meant it like. . . I was just talking! I don't actually want-"

"Oh, well I do not make the rules." The Djinn smiled menacingly. "I am merely bound to follow them. You wished. I granted."

Jay let himself fall back on the bed again, putting an arm over his face. " _Crap._ "

So much for a good plan.


	7. Woefully Wonderful

Chapter 7-Woefully Wonderful

Cole had overslept.

He _never_ overslept. Never had.

And yet, today, he'd somehow managed it.

His father was banging on the door relentlessly, calling his name over and over, giving Cole no time to answer even once he'd woken. "Cole! _Cole_ , Cole? Cole!"

"I'M AWAKE DAD!" Cole shouted, louder than he should have. His father's voice froze on the other side of the door, and the knocking finally ceased. "I'll be ready soon. Sorry."

"Well _hurry._ You can't rush off to school without breakfast. And I _don't_ want you speeding through traffic! Really, Cole, I thought you knew better. Did you stay up too late yesterday? We agreed you would go to bed at 11."

 _One day, dad. It's just one day. Give. Me. A. Break._

"I'll be back in five minutes if you're not down!" His father's footsteps sauntered off, and Cole forced himself to sit up. His neck ached tremendously, and there was a stubborn throbbing coming from his nose. Cole let out a low sigh.

Today was _not_ setting itself up to be a good day.

Not one to be defeated, however, Cole hopped out bed. He scrambled through his clothes to find a proper outfit, wasting more than five minutes in search for socks. His father's footsteps returned, and soon enough, the knocking did too.

"Cole I _said_ five minutes!"

Cole stumbled forward, hopping about to slip his feet into his shoes. He opened the door, giving his dad a forced smile. "And I'm ready."

"Well go eat your breakfast, then off to school!" His father waved his hands dramatically as he herded Cole forward.

Cole did as he was told. He shoved bits of bland tasting food into his mouth while scrolling through his phone. Overnight, The small group chat had collected a fair amount of messages. Cole scrolled past them lazily. He quickly noticed Jay hadn't sent any at all.

Jay. He thought back to the day before. The flustered motions of his hands, the easily reddened cheeks. And the question Cole never got to ask.

 _Do you have a crush on me?_

In retrospect, Cole was glad Nya had interrupted them. The question seemed silly, and a bit egotistical. So Jay was a bit awkward with new acquaintances. That didn't necessarily mean anything. Right?

 _Right_ , Cole answered himself, although he wasn't entirely convinced.

Before more thoughts of Jay's possible crush on him could form, his phone vibrated. He expected to see more random conversation from the group chat. It was not. Kai had sent him a message, for his eyes only.

 _We need to talk. Before class?_

Cole swallowed the rest of his food, then drank his cup of orange juice down in one gulp. He texted as he moved, legs moving fast to outrun the sinking feeling in his stomach. _We need to talk._ Oh, how he loathed hearing that.

 _Sure. On my way_

"Drive _safe_!" Cole's father shouted as he left, more a warning than anything.

"Will do!" Cole shouted back.

* * *

"I mean, it was fun! But. . . I don't know. I should probably focus on school." Kai looked away as he spoke, unable to meet the hurt in Cole's eyes.

"I am in agreement with Kai. I hope this does not put any sort of dent in our friendship." Zane added. "But I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that is to come, and I do not believe I will be able to keep up with the band."

"Yeah. That. That one." Kai nodded along.

"But. . ." Cole shook his head. "Everything ending, and things becoming overwhelming, _that's_ why we need the band more than ever! To unwind."

"Yeaah. . ." Kai fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket. " Sorry Cole. I just. . . It's really not something we want to do right now."

"Fine." Cole hated to hear himself sound so rough, but it was impossible to remain kind. He couldn't understand their reasoning. It felt too sudden. "Fine. I can't _make_ you guys do anything."

"C'mon Cole don't be mad. We're still your friends."

"We are. We will always be." Zane agreed.

"Friends." Cole nodded, tone sarcastic. "Right. Because friends leave each other in the dust like that. Just. . . I can't talk right now."

He turned on his heel and stalked off. He didn't know where he was going. Cole moved almost in a trance, body pulsing with the warmth of anger. In the end, he wound up by his locker. Nothing better than snacks when the world fell apart.

Opening the lock with shaking hands was a struggle, but Cole managed. He grabbed onto the first thing his fingers found, snapping the bag open and furiously shoving food into his mouth.

 _What's next?_ He wondered, when his mind calmed enough to form coherent thoughts. _What else are you going to throw at me, universe?_

The universe didn't respond. But someone else did.

"Cole?"

The voice was sheepish, tentative. And wholly welcomed. Cole wiped his lips with the back of his hand, turning to look at Jay. The teen was gripping the straps of his backpack tightly, eyeing Cole with a swirl of emotions he couldn't identify.

"Oh. Hey. Jay" Cole cleared his throat, willing his voice to be steady. "What's up?"

"I feel like I should be asking _you_ that," Jay answered with a soft laugh. Cole watched him instantly regret the sound and blush instead. "Are you okay?"

"Of course!" Cole lied out of reflex, words even accompanied by the pseudo smile he'd grown to hate so much. "Just getting a snack before class starts. Much better than the so-called breakfast they serve us here."

Jay nodded slowly, and Cole could see unspoken words tugging at his lips. \

"No. You know what?" Cole slammed the door to his locker shut, clearing his throat before turning back to Jay. "I'm not okay. I'm not! Kai and Zane both decided to drop out of the band, so I'm a one-man act now!"

"Oh." Jay's voice was coated with guilt.

"It wasn't you. I don't think you breaking my nose on stage was what toppled them over the edge." Cole chuckled, but Jay's expression didn't change. "Truly."

The bell echoed around them. Jay bounced on his heels. He seemed both eager and reluctant to go. Cole watched him for a minute, as the hall around swarmed with people. Then, moving with nothing more than a sparking rebellious thought, Cole held out his hand.

Jay stared at the hand, with fear and disbelief, and made no move to take it.

"Today sucks. A lot. But I refuse to let the universe decide which days are good and which are bad. Wanna come with me?"

"Come with you?" Jay's eyes shifted. "Where?"

"I don't know," Cole admitted. "Anywhere but here, honestly."

For a second that seemed almost never-ending, Jay hesitated. Cole began to draw back, hissing at himself for the embarrassing impromptu request. Then a look of determination coated over Jay's brilliantly blue eyes, and he reached forward.

Their hands clasped together.

* * *

Jay had never _ever_ skipped school a day in his life.

Part of him wanted to regret it. But he owed Cole this much, after more or less wishing for his life to fall apart. Jay stared out the window of Cole's truck, then forced himself to turn and look at Cole himself. "So what _do_ people do when they. . . skip."

"Beats me." Cole chuckled. "I've never done this before either. In retrospect, we _probably_ shouldn't have. But I don't know. I'm tired of doing all the things I'm supposed to do all the time. It's dumb and boring. We should get to do what _we_ want to do, right?"

"I suppose." Jay waited a bit before speaking again. "I've never had an urge to break the rules, if I'm honest. I'm not a fan of getting in trouble. _Everyone_ ever will know we aren't supposed to be out and about."

"Psh, of course they won't." Cole glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, running a hand through his thick hair. "We totally pass for college students."

" _You_ might," Jay said. "But me? I'm the size of a walnut and I have the face of a toddler. I'll pass for nothing."

Cole laughed for a while. "Okay, okay. So let's go somewhere where there's no people."

"There's people everywhere!" Jay half-shouted. He cleared his throat. _Reel it in, weirdo_. "Well. . . actually, I know _a_ place. It's usually pretty empty. And if it isn't, whoever is there won't care too much about two high school students."

"Guide away, Walker."

Jay did, doing his best to ignore the butterflies that fumbled within him every time Cole spoke any part of his name. They moved through the streets, until Jay finally instructed Cole to slow to a stop by a small arcade.

"You sure it's open?" Cole squinted inside.

Jay pointed at the _Open_ sign. It was broken, with only the letter _p_ flashing a bright neon color. Cole shrugged, accepting this, and exited the truck. Before following, Jay fumbled through his backpack for loose change, shoving it in his pocket as he caught up with Cole.

"Looks old."

"It is." Jay nodded. "But it's nice. I like it. It's. . . cozy."

Cole smirked at this, and Jay shifted his eyes, looking at the door instead. He nudged it open. A man with a large belly and far too much hair gel looked up from what seemed to be an action comic. His eyes shifted from Jay to Cole. "Hey, Jay. Who's your friend? I don't think you've ever brought him here before."

"Hey, Dareth," Jay answered. "His name's Cole."

"Hello, Cole." Dareth nodded at him, and Cole gave a small nod back. "Hope you bring lots of business with ya. This place could use a customer or two."

"I'll spread the word. I know a couple of people." Cole nodded, and Jay scowled. Know a _couple_ of people? Jay was pretty sure Cole knew more than half of Ninjago's population.

"Great!" Dareth beamed at the news. "Well, have fun and all that."

He waved them on, and Jay guided Cole deeper into the building, moving through the aged games to stop by his favorite. Cole's eyes moved throughout, taking in as much as he could. "You know, I thought I was special, having you show me this place. But according to our funny-haired pal you've brought people here before?"

"Just Nya and Lloyd," Jay said. He was tempted to add, _So you're definitely special_ , but found he didn't have the guts to. Heck. Maybe he _should_ ask the Djinn for some confidence after all. "They didn't like it too much though. But I love it here. It's been my favorite spot since I was a kid. It used to be a little more lively but. . . Guess people found something better to do with their time."

Cole watched Jay play. Jay did his best to focus on the game itself and _not_ Cole's presence, but he couldn't help but let his eyes shift to the side every so often. His crush seemed mesmerized, and a little impressed. Jay smirked to himself.

When the game ultimately came to an end, the high score screen emerged. Cole gave a low whistle. They all read the name _JAY,_ and came with numbers that were unbelievably impressive.

"Like I said, not many people come." Jay shrugged, as he entered his name for the new score. A sudden wave of embarrassment had overcome him. All his skills said was that he was a loser with absolutely nothing better to do than spend hours flicking buttons. "So that's why. . . Yeah. I'm sure if there were others they'd probably pass me in a heartbeat."

He expected Cole to laugh, to shake his head and mock Jay's useless abilities. But he didn't.

" _Wow_." Cole blinked dramatically, eyes running through the scores. "That was _amazing_. You've gotta teach me."

"You're- You. . . Serious?" Jay muttered in disbelief. "You're serious?"

" _Duh!_ " Cole smiled. "I've never seen anyone be _that_ good at anything."

"Well. . ." Jay shifted his feet, then nodded. He knew video games. It was probably the _one_ thing he could say he was confident in. This was safe ground. He thought back to the mall, where he'd wound up thinking there was absolutely nothing he could ever help Cole with. "I can. . . I can give you some advice. Teach you a thing or two."

"I am going to _suck_ a this." Cole beamed. Jay had never seen anyone look so excited at the prospect of failure.

* * *

Cole couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much _fun_.

Jay had been stiff and awkward at first, but as the minutes passed, his self-consciousness had melded into the background. Soon enough, they found themselves joking and teasing as if they'd known each other for years.

There was something very comfortable about Jay's personality, about not having to guess at any of his thoughts. Jay was an open book, with emotions flashing brightly through his eyes, in a rather captivating manner. Cole had found himself staring more than a couple of times.

Not only this, but Jay was effortlessly funny. Or maybe Cole's sense of humor had downgraded itself after years of fake polite laughter. Either way, the black-haired teen found himself laughing hard enough to make his stomach ache and his eyes water.

All too soon, school hours rolled to an end. Instead of taking Jay back to the school, he drove him to the junk yard himself, to steal a couple more minutes of his company. "Thanks for coming with me. You really didn't have to do that."

"I. . . did." Jay said, then his eyes widened, as if realizing he'd said something he hadn't meant to. "Because. . . well, we're technically friends now, right? So. . . Of course I did."

"True. We should do this again sometime."

"Ahhh?" Jay turned to face Cole, eyebrows squished together into a stressed frown.

"Well, obviously not the _skipping_ part. Just the hanging out part."

"Oh!. . . Oh"

"I've got a long way to go with my video game skills after all." Cole joked. He hadn't gotten anywhere near _any_ of Jay's scores. "Can't leave your student hanging."

"I can't believe anyone could possibly be so _bad_ at games." Jay shook his head, chuckling softly. "Sure. I would. . . really like that. Hanging out. It was fun."

Once Jay had gone, Cole's day continued. Trudging forward from one task to the next.

Lunch. Dance class. Piano lessons.

And ultimately voice lessons. With his loving father.

"Cole." His father's voice was stern. "The school called. Letting me know you were absent. But I distinctly remember you driving _to_ school. So, what happened?"

Cole's first thought was _I hope Jay didn't get in trouble_

"I wasn't feeling well. So I didn't go."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I'm sorry, dad. I just. . . I didn't think I could deal with school. Kai and Zane decided to back out of the band and I was upset. So I left. Sorry." Cole spoke fast, forcing the words out. "I won't do it again. I know I shouldn't have."

Cole's dad lowered his head with a sigh. When he looked up again, his eyes had softened, but not by much. "Life will have its ups and downs, son. I'm sorry to hear that _but_ you can't let something like that derail you from what you have to do. Do you understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Oh! And before I forget, I signed you up for the Marty Oppenheimer's winter camp! It's for aspiring students, to prepare them for the application process and such. It will be good for you."

Cole felt the world momentarily tilt out of balance. He leaned back, trying to ground himself. "Winter. . . Camp. But. . . Holidays?"

" _Holidays_ , he says! Cole, you're almost an adult. You need to get used to putting your responsibilities before everything else! You want to get into the school, don't you?"

"Well. . ."

"Exactly! Now let's begin. I think we've wasted enough time."

Cole trudged through the lesson, trying his best to keep focused. His mind, however, was tangled with emotions. He yearned to be back with Jay, where day to day life had been nothing more than a bad dream.

When his father finally allowed him to go, Cole ran to his room. He reached for his phone in a desperate manner, resembling a drowning man clawing for the surface.

* * *

The teapot was gone.

Jay tossed everything out of his backpack, turning it upside down and shaking it violently.

 _The teapot was gone._

He tried to think back. Tried to retrace his steps. He'd had it with him this morning. He'd gone to the bathroom, then been intercepted by Cole in the hall. Then they'd sped off together.

Jay had been heading to his locker before Cole had decided they should skip school. Had he begun to open his backpack? Had the teapot slipped through then?

He couldn't remember.

Then there was the arcade. The moment he'd reached for the loose change. Maybe the teapot had fallen in Cole's truck. Jay shivered.

His phone rang. Jay dropped his backpack with a shudder.

Cole's name stared up at him from the cracked screen of his phone.

 _He'd found the teapot. He'd found it and he knew he'd unintentionally and single-handedly ruined his life and now it was all over and-_

"Hey, Cole. What's uh, what's up?"

 _Hey. Sorry, I'm calling kind of late. I just. . . needed to talk. Can you talk? I'll be quick. Promise._

"I can talk, I can talk. I'm not- I wasn't doing anything."

 _Oh! First, did you get in trouble for today? I'm sorry. I really wasn't thinking._

"No it's okay. I told my parents that one of my friends wasn't feeling so well, and needed me. So they were cool. I mean, I got the don't do it again blah blah blah lecture, but they're chill."

 _Wow. That's amazing._

"Did _you_ get in trouble?"

 _Kind of. I guess. Dad's shipping me off to some dumb winter camp in December. That sounds like a punishment to me. That's what I was calling about. I hate it. I don't want to go._

"Wow. That sounds like the worst. Winter break is called _break_ for a reason. Eesh. It's like nothing's sacred anymore!"

Cole chuckled on the opposite line, and Jay's stomach fluttered. Then, Cole continued his rant. As he calmed, they joked back and forth on the unnecessary cruelty in the world of innocent high-school students.

Their conversation flowed easily, spinning late into the night. The loss of sleep was well worth it. Jay didn't even _feel_ tired either way. He was filled with boundless energy.

He continued to grin stupidly at the ceiling for a couple of minutes more after Cole had hung up. Then his head lolled to the side, to the strewn school supplies and his empty backpack.

"Right. The stupid teapot."

Well. . . It wasn't as if he _needed_ it. He was bound to do more harm than good with a third wish.

Jay turned away, cuddling up against his pillow while clutching the warm phone to his chest.

"Not my problem." Jay shut his eyes. "Not my problem at all."


	8. The Incredibly Unlikely Magic Teapot

Chapter 8- The Incredibly Unlikely Magic Teapot

"It's a _teapot_. Not a lamp. But it's the same deal. Three wishes."

"I heard you actually get unlimited wishes, _if_ you're lucky enough to find it."

"It'll give you _anything_."

"Did you hear Turner found it? They say that's the only reason he graduated last year."

Jay heard these rumors and more through the week, as people who had no idea what they were talking about pretended they did. The further the stories spread, the more wild they became. Half of his grade was now convinced Principal Garmadon was actually immortal, and that he was the teapot's original owner.

 _And_ that the engineering teacher, Borg, had lost his legs due to a wish gone terribly wrong. Jay even heard rumors about Cole himself, and how his charms and skills were nothing more than magic.

He did his best to ignore the stories. They would die out, as everything did. Whoever _had_ actually found the teapot would ultimately run out of wishes, or realize that it wasn't worth the trouble. Then all would be well again.

And even if things _didn't_ die out, it wasn't like Jay was personally responsible for the teapot. Yes, he'd been the one to bring it (and lose it) within the school. But the teapot and the Djinn within it had been around for centuries. It was unfair to pin the task of keeping an eye on it on any one person.

Despite the rumors filling him with bleary foreboding, Jay was having an excellent week. Cole had permanently joined their table during lunch, despite Kai and Zane having returned to their original seats.

There was a tension between the three friends after the loss of _Spin Harmony_ , causing them to drift further and further from one another. Jay hated seeing Cole pretend he wasn't torn up about the fact, but he couldn't deny having Cole so close by was intoxicatingly amazing.

"So." Nya spoke loudly, demanding attention of her friends. "I'm sure by now, we've all heard of this magic wishing lamp."

Jay swallowed a bite of his food before correcting. "Teapot."

"Teapot." Nya nodded. "What do you think about it? Do you think it's real?"

Cole thought for a moment. "No. People make things up all the time. I mean, magic wishes? It seems. . . far-fetched."

"I think it's real." Lloyd said. "I mean, I'm sure my dad _isn't_ some sort of immortal being, and some of the things people are saying are definitely lies but. . . You can't have these many people talking without there being some sort of truth."

"Exactly!" Nya's eyes shone. "I'm with Lloyd. I've been trying to track the rumor down to a source but. . . it's no good."

Cole turned his head in Jay's direction. "What do _you_ think, Jay?"

Even after spending a good amount of time with Cole, Jay still felt a flutter inside each time the guy said his name. He looked up at his crush. Cole sat across from him, giving Jay both an excellent view, and closeness that wasn't _too_ uncomfortable.

"I don't think it's real either." Jay lied. The more distance between himself and the teapot, the better. "It seems silly."

"You're just agreeing because you li-"

Jay stomped on Lloyd's foot hard, stopping any more words from flowing out of his friend's mouth. "Because I'm being logical about this."

" _Jeez_ ," Lloyd complained, squinting his eyes towards Jay. "Yeah. Logical. That's _so_ you."

"Well, let's pretend we all agree it _is_ real." Nya pushed on. "What if we found it?"

"Why would we want to do that?" Jay muttered.

"Why _wouldn't_ we want to do that?" Nya countered. "You're the one that was bringing up wishes the other day. Why the sudden anti-magic?"

Jay shrugged. Nya and Lloyd continued to exchange rumors, working together to single out the main source. Jay half ignored them and continued to eat. Cole did the same.

"I'm glad I'm not the only sane one around here." Cole joked, giving Jay a small smile.

"And I'm glad you're sitting with us." Jay spoke without thinking, then fumbled to fix his blunt statement. "So that I'm not the only one that's- You know, so we can be, so we can team up. Against them. Lloyd and Nya."

"Heck yeah." Cole held up his hand for a high five, which Jay dutifully gave. "We make the best team."

* * *

"I've heard the rumors going around school."

Jay looked up from his notebook. Mrs. Garmadon seemed to be looking straight at him. "About a magic teapot, moving from student to student. Granting wishes and such. Well, _whoever_ started this tale I hope you guys know that the artifact is very much real. The Teapot of Tyrahn. It's got a good story attached to it."

"Oh, and the rumor about Garmadon? Don't tell him I told you, but it's definitely true."

A couple of people snickered. Jay watched his teacher intently, wondering what she was leading up to. "Either way, this whole thing gave me a great idea for a project.

"There are plenty of places throughout Ninjago that are a big part of its history. I want you all to _go_ to one of these places, and find out as much information as you can about them. Take pictures. Write up a good report about it. Then I'll let you teach the class about whatever you chose.

"So make sure to talk amongst yourselves, so that none of you pick the same place. You can work with someone in a different class if you would like, but it the end I want it to be _your_ own words I'm hearing.

"We'll make it due. . . Let's say three weeks from now. That is more than enough time to come up with something _good_. Blow my mind, please."

For the rest of the class, Jay could hardly focus. Even if the deadline was eons away, he could picture presenting well enough to feel anxious. Not only that, but he couldn't think of a _single_ place to visit.

 _I'll just. . . tag along with Nya_. Jay thought to himself. She was sure to think of somewhere interesting.

At the end of the day, however, Jay received a text that changed his meager plan of action. Jay stared at his phone in disbelief, biting his lips as they attempted to smile. It was Cole. Suggesting they pick a place together. Offering to drive them there.

As the bus began to roll forward, Jay calmed his giddiness enough to try answer.

 _That sounds awesome!_ He typed. Then deleted the words

 _Good idea_ Delete again

 _Deal!_ Jay stared at the word for a while. Then, Nya reached over and pressed send.

"Nya!" Jay's scream was high-pitched and shrill. "No!"

"It was fine. You're overthinking it! You're welcome." Nya smiled but Jay continued to frown.

"Not cool. Don't do that! What if I'd written something stupid?"

"I read it, don't worry."

"Oh so now you're reading my messages? That's even worse!"

"You're literally cramped into a seat with me. What am I supposed to do?"

"Mind your own business, that's what!"

"Okay, okay." Nya held her hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry. I won't peek anymore. But _sweet_. He's asking you to work with him! That's amazing, Jay."

"It's. . . Pretty cool." Jay admitted, feeling his chest swell with emotion. "You- you could work with us too though if you wanted. I was going to ask you first, actually. But you can come with us!"

"No that's okay. I've got a thick-headed brother to take care of. Seriously, can you believe _I'm_ the younger one? If it wasn't for me Kai wouldn't get _anywhere_." Nya glanced over at her brother. Since he and Cole were momentarily not on speaking terms, Kai was stuck in the bus. His head was down, and he slumped against the seat in a defeated manner. Nya shook her head. "You need to talk to Cole about Kai. Look at him. He's a mess."

Jay looked. "Why me? I mean, Kai should just. . . Cole should just. . . They should just . . . talk."

"They _should_ , but they _won't_. Which is why _you_ need to say something. Aside from Zane and Kai, you're the closest one to Cole now. And if he won't listen to them. . . then. . . that leaves you."

"I guess so. I'll try." Jay said. "But no promises."

* * *

Cole felt as if each day were stubbornly trying to be worse than the last.

He'd always considered himself to be lucky. Sure, his dad was overbearing, and yes, sometimes he wished he had the guts to step up and take charge of his own life. Generally speaking, however, Cole's life had always gone smoothly. In the end, things worked out.

Not any longer.

Every day it was _something_. From spilling soda in his freshly washed clothes, to completely forgetting about important assignments. The day simply couldn't go by without making him suffer. It was beyond exhausting.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a positive attitude. He hated being anything but kind, but Cole's frustrations kept piling up, pushing him closer and closer to a breaking point. He could feel the edge in his voice when he spoke to others.

To top it all off, Kai and Zane were keeping their distance. Cole knew they thought _he_ was upset at _them_ , but truth was, Cole just couldn't find the will to talk through everything, and if they didn't show any initiative to fix things, well, he wouldn't either.

But, well, at least there was Jay.

Cole could feel himself becoming increasingly attached to the guy.

Which was why the moment the project on historical landmarks had come up, his brain instantly hopped to having Jay as a partner. Since it was school related, his father would have no other choice than to let Cole skip all extra-curricular activities for one afternoon.

One whole afternoon. With nothing to worry about. Nothing but Jay's comfortable company.

And well, doing the _actual_ work. But to Cole that was beside the point.

 _Deal!_

The response made Cole smile. He read the word in Jay's somewhat over-excitable voice.

As he drove home, Cole thought back once more at his unspoken question. _Do you have a crush on me?_

Part of him thought Jay did. Part of him still thought he was being a bit egotistical. And surprisingly enough, there was now a third part. A subtle voice inside him that Cole wasn't exactly sure was real, or simply the result of his overtired mind.

The third part _hoped_ Jay liked him. Because, maybe, Cole was developing a crush of his own.

* * *

 _Could I call you?_

Jay sat outside his trailer, staring at the text. He'd mentioned to Cole that he wasn't all too comfortable with phone calls. It had been nothing more than a small, passing comment. Yet Cole had remembered. Jay's insides fluttered with warmth.

The more he got to know Cole, the more his feelings deepened.

 _Sure_ , Jay ultimately answered, after overthinking dozens of other replies.

Seconds ticked, and his phone lit up with Cole's name. Jay answered quickly. "What's up?"

 _I just have a bit of time before dance class. Figured I'd talk to you._ Cole paused. Jay thought about saying something, but wound up elongating the silence instead. _Sorry though! I know you don't like phone calls._

"Don't worry about it," Jay said, then shut his eyes, before adding a final, risky sentence. "You can be my exception."

 _Sweet! I must be special then, huh?_

Jay made a sound which could have been interpreted either way. "So the-um, the project. You got any ideas?"

 _Actually, no. I'll try to come up with something later._

"I can find us something!" Jay half-shouted, far too eager to be helpful. "I can, I mean I know your schedule gets kind of hectic. I've literally got nothing on my plate. So let me handle it."

 _That would be awesome. And yeah. Hectic is an understatement. Ever since I skipped school dad has been all over me. Extra tutoring here, which I don't need!, more after-school classes, and he's now taking me to different performances every week._

"I'm sorry. . ." Jay said, and he was. He knew all too well the reason Cole's life was crumbling.

 _It's not your fault,_ Cole said, and Jay's heart twisted. _I'm the one that thought it would be a good idea to skip school. Not that I regret it. It was the best._

"Hope you've been practicing your gaming skills. I'm testing you next time."

 _Oh no! Man. I'm definitely going to fail. I haven't had time to go since we went together._

"Well," Jay drew a circle on the ground with his finger. He was sort of glad Cole couldn't see his face. He was sure it was just as red as Kai's favorite hoodie. "You could always bribe the teacher into letting you off the hook."

 _Bribe, huh? And what does the teacher like?_

"W-well, I'm partial to anything that's sweet, if I'm honest."

 _Well,_ I'm _a pretty sweet guy, so doesn't that mean I'm automatically good to go?_

"Maybe." Jay choked on air as he said the word. Was this flirting? _Were_ they flirting? No, right? No. "I'll have to think about it."

 _Dang it. I've got to go._ Cole said, and Jay pouted. _I'll um, I'll text you about when we can meet up for the project. I'll have to talk to my dad about it._

"Sounds good. I'll look it- I'll look up things. Look things up."

 _See ya, Jay!_

"Bye." Jay said softly. The call ended. "Cole."

* * *

Jay sat in Nya's room, scrolling through different possible places for him and Cole to go.

"There's Yang's haunted temple. That thing is old, right?"

"Yes." Nya laid on the bed beside him, staring up into the ceiling. "Pretty old. It would count. Plus, it's got spooky factor. Excuse to hold Cole?"

"Fair point." Jay allowed himself to giggle at the thought of it, before becoming serious again. "I'll uh- I'll jot it down as a possibility."

"What else you got?"

"There's. . . Ouroboros. But that's way in the middle of the desert. I don't even know if they allow people _in_ there."

"Breaking and entering. Romantic setting for a first date."

"It's not a _date_." Jay nudged Nya's shoulder, but he couldn't keep himself from smiling. "We're working together on a school thing. That's got to be the furthest thing from romantic."

Nya shrugged, then waved one of her hands, instructing him to keep going.

"There's the underground tunnels, with all those Stone Army statues."

"Hard pass. They only do group tours. You won't have much one on one time."

"That's all I've got so far."

Nya's phone buzzed beside her, and she rolled over, propping herself up on her elbows. Jay waited for her to say something. Her expression went from nonchalance to concern.

"What?"

"Sally Octavius. She's a junior in Lloyd's class. She went missing."

"Missing?"

"Last thing Lloyd heard from her was that she'd found the teapot. They don't actually talk so he just heard it in passing but. . . Heck. It's _got_ to be real."

Jay felt cold and hot all over, and he hoped the expression of terror on his face passed off as concerned for their missing classmate. His throat when dry, and he cleared it forcefully. _Missing?_ It didn't seem right. Yes, he knew the teapot was real. Yes, the Djinn hadn't been terribly friendly. But he hadn't seemed _dangerous._

"We can't know that the teapot and her going missing are connected," Jay said at last. "I mean, a lot of people have said they've found it. We can't really trust random gossip Lloyd happened to hear."

"I don't know Jay, there's something about this. I'm telling you. It _feels_ real." Nya bit her lip. "And if it's dangerous. . ."

"All the more reason to _not_ go off looking for it, right?" Jay wondered what would happen if they _did_ find it, and the Djinn revealed they'd seen one another before. He was in no hurry to find out.

"All the more reason _to_ look for it. We can't have something like at school. We've got to get rid of it."

"Why! It's not our responsibility."

"Because it's the right thing to do, that's why." Nya scrambled to her feet, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She watched as the school bus turned into her street. A determined look flashed through her eyes. "I'm going to look for it."

Jay chuckled weakly. "I really _wish_ you wouldn't."


	9. Most Definitely Not A Date

Chapter 9-Most Definitely Not a Date

"So where are we going?"

Jay fumbled to unlock his phone, opening up the notes he'd made. "Okay. I narrowed it down to two places. So you can choose."

"Shoot."

"First is Yang's haunted temple. I thought that would be a cool little thing to-"

"Pass," Cole shook his head, glancing at Jay briefly before focusing back on the road. "I don't do ghosts. No haunted places."

Jay released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Okay. Cool. Honestly? I'm not into scary stuff. I just thought. . . You might think it was cool. But _good_. Good. I was already preparing to pretend to be brave, heh."

"You don't ever have to pretend to be anything, okay?" Cole's voice dropped to a serious tone. Then, as if regretting it, he cleared his throat and signaled for Jay to continue. "What's the other one?"

"The Stone Army tunnels." Despite Nya's advice, Jay had decided to choose that either way. "They could be cool."

"I'm pretty sure Zane chose that. He's in my class. Sorry. . ."

"Well. . ." Jay tried to think. Borg's tower had been one of the first buildings in Ninjago City. Yet it wasn't terribly old, and he didn't want to risk choosing a location that would give them a bad grade.

Then, of course, there had been the Mountain of a Million steps. Which he hadn't even thought of as an option. Jay had never been terribly athletic, and he did _not_ want to embarrass himself in front of Cole. "There's _one_ place. But I . . . don't know."

"Where?"

"The City of Ouroboros. Way in the desert. I'm sure you wouldn't want to drive that far. And we could get lost. Plus, I couldn't get a straight answer on if it was open to the public or not." Jay listed all the reasons why they should _not_ choose that option. "You wouldn't want to do all that."

Cole tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. His eyes flickered to the side of the road, and he turned quickly, pulling into a gas station. Jay gripped his seat at the violent turn, his eyes widening in a flash of panic.

"City of Ouroboros sounds perfect." Cole smiled at Jay, and Jay tried to return the gesture. "We can get some snacks in case we get hungry on the way there, or while we _are_ there. Or on the way back. I'm sure we'll be able to find it."

"And if we're not allowed there?" Jay straightened himself, clicking the seatbelt off. "Also I don't have any money. I didn't think we'd-"

"Don't worry about it." Cole waved him off. "And really, even if we're not allowed, I doubt security is tight in the _desert_."

"That's true, yeah. But-"

"C'mon, it'll be fun." Cole's eyes shun with something Jay couldn't decipher, but it made him blush nonetheless. He looked away. "It'll be an adventure. Us, versus the endless desert in the quest for a good grade!"

The way Cole had said the word 'Us' made Jay giddy and mindless, leaving him with no other choice but to agree. "O-okay."

* * *

Kai couldn't believe his luck.

He sat on the floor of his room, staring at the rusted teapot before him. _The_ teapot. The one whose story was being bounced from mouth to mouth throughout the school.

Kai had found it. _Him_. Not anyone else.

He felt like the main character of a story, standing on the edge of an adventure. It made his heart beat a little bit faster to know that out of all the teenagers in his school, the magical item had wound up in his hands.

With a slow tentative movement, Kai reached for the object. Then he drew his hand back, afraid to shatter the moment. What if it didn't work? What if the stories had been nothing more than just that?

Yet. . . what if it _was_ true? What would he wish for?

His mind flitted over to Cole. More than anything, Kai wished he knew how to get his friend back. Syncing up with other people's thoughts and feelings had never been his strong suit. He had no idea what to do.

That would be a good first wish. Then, Kai could wish for other things such as perfect grades, or heck, maybe even to be done with school altogether.

"This had better work." Kai bit his lip. With a shaky breath, he gathered enough courage to pick up the item.

A loud knock came from the door. Kai had only a couple of seconds to toss the teapot under his bed before Nya swung the door open. "Hey, have you thought about where to go for Mrs. Garmadon's project?"

"You know people usually wait until they hear 'come in'" Kai scowled.

"Whatever," Nya shrugged. "Have you?"

"Not really. _You're_ the one that's good at this stuff! You choose."

"Fine. But you better do your share of the work. You try to copy off of me and I'm telling."

" _Thanks_." Kai rolled his eyes. "I'll do my own work, yada yada. So. Can I get my room back now?"

Instead of leaving, Nya glanced around. Her eyes moved from one object to the next, trying to find something amiss. When she didn't, she turned back to her brother. "What were you doing anyway?"

"Uh," Kai frowned. "Meditating."

Nya laughed. "No you weren't."

"Yes, I was."

"You weren't."

" _Either_ way, it's still my room so-" Kai made an ushering movement with his hands. Nya stuck her tongue out, but left regardless, shutting the door with more force than necessary. "Thank you!"

Once he was sure his sister had gone on to do something else, Kai crawled to the bed, reaching under for the teapot. "Now, let's get this done."

He rubbed his hand against the metal. When nothing happened, his movements became a bit more dramatic. And still, there was absolutely no magic whatsoever. Kai let out a big breath, almost laughing at himself for the hope and excitement he'd felt seconds before.

Who had he been fooling, really? A magic, wish-granting teapot?

Boy, he really _was_ an idiot.

He studied the object, pondering what to do with it. Maybe he could sell it. Or maybe he could put it back in the school. Let someone else be disappointed.

The more he looked at the teapot, the more he realized something about it was off. The image on its side was twisted out of place. With a skip of his heartbeat, Kai pressed two of his fingers upon the metal. While doing his best not to hope for anything, he slid the image into place.

* * *

"Could I ask you something?"

Jay looked at Cole, whose eyes were mainly focused on the desert before them. Every so often, however, his grey eyes would flicker to Jay's own. And every time, Jay felt his heart jolt.

"No." Cole replied, with a serious tone and a frown.

"Oh."

"I'm _kidding_." Cole laughed. "Of course. Ask whatever."

"Oh! Uh- Well, How do- Why. . . Um." Jay fumbled with the words, as they stubbornly refused to form. Asking about Kai and Zane felt like prying in a personal level that three weeks of friendship didn't deserve. "How have you been feeling with uh- your nose not being covered in bandages?"

"Fine, I guess?" Cole gave Jay a quick glance. "I feel like that's a question that should have been asked _when_ I actually got them off. You sure you weren't going to ask something else?"

Dang. Either Jay was easy to ready, or Cole was good at figuring him out. Possibly both. "Okay. I was. You got me."

"So _ask_."

"I-" Jay's eyes clung to a shadow growing in the horizon, and he jumped at the opportunity to move away from the unvoiced question. "Hey! Look! That's something!"

"Huh. It _is_." Cole leaned forward, as if the small movement would help him see further. "You don't think we _actually_ found it, do you?"

"What do you mean 'actually'? I thought you believed in us!"

"Honestly? I expected us to drive aimlessly for a while, until giving up and moving on to something else."

"Wow!" Jay chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "This is for an actual grade, you know!"

"I _know_ , and I was going to make sure we did it. I just. . . wanted to spend some quality time with you, obviously."

Jay opened his mouth, then shut it, grasping for a playful tone. It took his heart a few moments to settle. "Obviously. Definitely not trying to procrastinate, or find a random excuse to get away from your dad."

"Okay, maybe that too," Cole admitted. "But I really did just want to spend time with you."

To that, Jay had no response. He tried to sit still, making sure to keep his growingly giddy expression turned away from Cole. Lucky for Jay, the growing figures in the distance served as the perfect place for his eyes to focus on.

The ruins were larger and more well-preserved than what either of them had expected. Bits of caution tape fluttered around the area, but there was no sign of anyone. Despite the clear rule-breaking they were about to do, Jay felt his sense of adventure rising.

He found himself laughing softly as they hopped out of the truck. First a wish-granting Djinn. Now an ancient city in the middle of the desert. What next?

Cole trotted ahead of him, ducking under the caution tape to step inside. He gave a loud shout, which echoed throughout the empty buildings. "Wow! This is insane. I totally feel like Clutch Powers right now."

"Right!?" Jay agreed with a smile, following Cole deeper into the ruins.

The path led them into a large arena. They stood at the very top, looking down at the circular area below. Jay allowed his eyes to take it all in, before reaching for his phone to snap a few pictures. After sliding it back into his pocket, Jay wiped away the beads of sweat against his forehead.

"We should go get our wa-"

Cole interrupted his sentence with a friendly shove and a smirk, as he began to run down the steps. "Race you to the bottom!"

"What? Wait! That's! Cheat-gah!" Jay shook his head and began to run. He caught up quickly enough, and even shot past. Despite his obvious disinterest in exercise, Jay had always been faster than average.

He hit the arena well before Cole did, then crumbled against a bit of shaded sand. His breathing was rough and erratic, but he couldn't help but laugh every time he had enough air to do so.

Cole reached Jay, holding out a hand for him to take. Jay accepted the help, moving up to stand on shaky legs. "You are _fast_."

"Yeah." Jay made a sound that was in between a chuckle and a giggle. "And you- you didn't even break a sweat."

"You've got speed, I've got stamina. I'm telling you, Jay, we make the perfect team."

"Yeah." Jay was infinitely glad his skin had already reddened from running. "We- We do."

Once he had fully recovered, they continued to explore. Most doors they found were locked, but the metal holding those places shut was so rusted, it didn't take much effort in Cole's part to break them open.

They both took as many pictures as they could. Some silly, some not, but none of them could fully capture the feeling of wonder at being in a place that was so incredibly _old_. Jay tried to share as many facts about the place as he could remember, eager to help as much as possible.

"So this really, really old tribe built this place. They called themselves the Serpentine. But they were dived amongst themselves into. . . five? Four? Different groups. I can't remember which. Either way, they used this place to kind of. . . fight each other for dominance. They would choose champions to represent them, and off they would go!

"They called this place the Slither Pit. And I read that the whole area is filled with traps that would make the fighting more difficult. But I don't see anything. Not that I _want_ to run into any traps."

They'd emerged back into the arena, and Cole nudged Jay's arm, pointing up at a tall tower. "Maybe the trigger for the traps is up there. It kind of looks like a box. Like in a theater? Important people sit in those so. . ."

"Maybe." Jay squinted his eyes against the sun to get a better look. "But there's no way up there."

"Of course there's a way up there." Cole tsk-ed. "Climbing."

"Climbing." Jay laughed. "Right, yeah-. . . Wait you're serious?"

Instead of responding, Cole began to climb. There were plenty of footholds for him to use, as time had chipped away at more than enough pieces of the wall. Jay watched Cole move with both fright and admiration.

Cole seemed to know what he was doing, as his body moved upward with seemingly no effort. Yet, Jay couldn't help but imagine what would happen if the tiniest of missteps occurred.

Once Cole made it to the top, he turned around to give Jay a small, playful wave. "The view is _excellent_."

"I'm sure!" Jay shouted up at him. "Now, come down?"

Instead of doing so, Cole moved further into the box, and out of Jay's sight. "There _are_ some levers up here. Should I pull them?"

"No!" Jay shouted frantically, eyes snapping around the arena, expecting everything to suddenly begin trying to kill him. "Please, don't!"

"Okay, Okay." Cole wandered back into view. "Come up here then."

"Good joke, but I _can't_."

"Come on, it really wasn't _that_ hard." Cole shrugged. "And it's not that high. Worse case scenario, you break a leg. Heh. Get it? Because-. . . Never mind."

Jay stared at the tower. It truly wasn't _too_ high. He'd climbed piles of junk that stood taller. But that had been when he was a child. When accidents and death seemed like a very unreal possibility. Now, Jay was very much aware of the consequences of falling the wrong way.

Cole stared down at him expectantly. He didn't push the subject any further. Jay was sure that if he decided to stay with both feet on the ground, Cole wouldn't tease.

He bounced on his heels. Then he moved toward the wall.

"Heck yeah!" Cole smiled brightly. Jay stared at his smile for a few moments, before giving himself a determined nod.

The climb was shorter than he had imagined, from standing at the bottom. His legs shook with both nerves and effort, but as long as he kept moving, Jay found that it wasn't too difficult at all. Soon enough, Jay felt Cole's warm grip around his arm, as he moved to help him reach the very top.

"Told you it wasn't hard." Cole winked, and Jay smiled, dumbfounded and exhausted.

They sat side by side in silence for some moments. Jay's eyes studied the view, infinitely glad for having climbed. When he finally turned his attention back on Cole, he blushed, realizing that his crush had been staring at _him_.

"Are you going to ask what you _really_ wanted to ask now?" Cole probed.

Jay bit his lip, then looked away again. His fingers tapped restlessly against his leg. "I was just going to ask about Kai and Zane."

"Oh." Cole's disappointment was obvious. "That. Right. Kai and Zane. What _about_ them?"

"Well um. . . I don't. . . _talk_ to Zane much, but I know through Nya that Kai isn't doing so good. And well, you three were good friends! So. . . I'm just wondering- _We_ were wondering, Nya and I, if you'd ever just hang out again."

"I. . ." Cole dangled his legs over the side of the box, swinging them back and forth as he thought. "I don't know. Probably. I know they didn't do anything too awful but. . . I feel like I never get to be mad. So I'm just. . . stubbornly holding onto this. Because once I stop, I'll wind up being nice, perfect Cole again. And I don't want to do that."

"Nice and perfect? You wish. I know you skip classes. And break into ancient ruins."

Cole chucked weakly. "Oh, that's true."

" I mean. . . I've never had to worry too much about. . . everyone expecting me to be perfect. So I can't say that much, you know? But I feel like . . . If someone's your friend, it's not worth it to hold on to bad feelings just because.

"Maybe you could talk to them about how you feel in general. You don't _have_ to go back to being nice and perfect. You could just be you."

"Old habits die hard." Cole shrugged. "I know you're right though. I hate pretending to be angry. I hate pretending in general."

"Maybe we can work on that. Together. I suck at keeping my emotions together. Clearly." Jay laughed at himself. "And you keep them together _too_ well. So we can balance each other out."

For a moment, their eyes connected. They studied each other without moving. Jay was the first to break, his eyes shuddering back to the horizon. "Balance each other out. Like a good. . . team."

"Yeah. A team."

"I know this turned heavy and all but. . ." Jay looked down, then back up at Cole. "How are we going to get _down_?"


	10. Crushing Confessions

Chapter 10- Crushing Confessions

Smoke began to emerge from the teapot quickly. Kai yelped. His body jolted, the rusted antique slipping from his hands.

Kai crawled backward out of the smoke, watching as a four-armed creature materialized before him.

They both stared at one another. Seconds ticked forward. Kai's surprise wore off, replaced by awkward intimidation. He cleared his throat as he stood, trying to regain his composure. "You're. . . real."

"Fantastic observation." The Djinn replied curtly, without any change in expression. Kai felt himself blush. "Well? What would you like to wish for?"

"I wish that. . ." _I wish that you could be a little friendlier_ , Kai snickered to himself, but he didn't voice the thought. No, there were only three wishes to spend, and he wasn't about to waste any. "I wish to know how people feel. . . how, if- to know what's wrong."

"You wish to know what people _feel_ is wrong?"

Kai gave a small nod. "Yes. That."

"Well," The Djinn bowed. _That's more like it!_ Kai thought. "Your wish, is yours to keep."

Kai shut his eyes, expecting to feel. . . _something_. But when nothing happened at all, he reopened them. He prepared to ask on how soon the effects of the wish would show, but the Djinn interrupted him.

"I'm sure you had someone in mind when you wished this. I assure you, it has come true. You can go on. I will be waiting for your next wish."

"Yeah. . . Yeah, okay." Kai nodded. The best way to know if something worked was to test it, after all. He twisted the ring on the teapot. The Djinn and his smoke disappeared with a dramatic _poof!_

After hiding the object beneath his mattress, Kai trotted down the stairs. Nya was lounging in the living room, reading a small book. "Yo. Nya."

His sister looked up, annoyance flickering across her vision. "What?"

"I'm going to go see Cole. So. Yeah. That's a thing." Kai waited after stating this. He expected Nya to give him a few words of support, or at the very least, an annoyed eyeroll. But Nya did nothing. She sat still, staring at Kai with a very dumbfounded expression.

Kai moved toward the door, one eyebrow quirked upward in amusement. "Ookay?"

"You never _do_ anything. You always try half as hard as I do. And yet, yet! I'm still always just Kai's sister. Just because you're older. Just because most people knew you before they knew me." Nya shook her head. Her words came out monotone, eyes firmly locked against Kai's. "I don't want to do this project with you. You'll mope around because you don't have the guts to fix your friendship. And I'll do all the work. And I'll have to be okay with that, because boo-hoo _poor_ you."

"Uhh. . ." Kai kept moving to the door. Nya followed him with her eyes. "You don't have to work with me, that's okay."

Nya showed absolutely no sign that she could hear him. Goosebumps traveled along his arm. "There's also Jay. I just want to smack him around a couple of times for good measure. He acts like everything is _so_ hard. But it's not! He's got a crush on Cole. Cole _clearly_ likes him in _some_ way. But no. Jay would rather sit back and wait for someone _else_ to act. It's infuriating!"

"Jay likes Cole?" Kai blinked.

"And I'm just so tired. In general. Everyone expects so much from me and I just wish they'd stop." A deep sigh shook Nya, and she looked down for a moment, her words finally ending.

"So I'm. . . Going to go." Kai said, softly, half hoping she wouldn't hear him, as he was worried about setting her off again. He quickly stepped outside. Once the door was shut, he leaned back against it, letting out a long breath. "Real good wish there, Kai."

If Cole's reaction was going to be the same, Kai wasn't so sure he wanted to talk to him anymore. Who knows what sort of pent up frustrations his friend carried around? Kai imagined the list was _long_.

Maybe he could put this off until tomorrow. There was no point on walking to Cole's house if they could simply see each other at school.

"Yeah." Kai nodded to himself slowly. "Tomorrow."

And by tomorrow, he'd be ready to hear whatever Cole needed to say. Then, things could finally be okay again.

Or so he hoped.

* * *

"I'm going to tell him."

The words weren't planned. Jay said them suddenly, clinging onto the straps of his backpack as he moved. Still, once the words _were_ out, he nodded to himself before looking up. His eyes moved from Lloyd to Nya. "I'm going to tell him."

"Tell him that you _did_ purposely break his nose as an intricate revenge plot?" Lloyd asked.

Jay rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. I'm going to tell him I. . . about the crush. Maybe not say it's been there since fourth grade but. . . Yeah."

"Wow." Nya nudged her friend's shoulder. "Someone's getting brave. Why the sudden impulse?"

"I feel. . . I really like him as a friend. If anything, I want to at least keep that. So, I don't know, I guess I want to be honest." Jay shrugged as he talked. "What do you guys think?"

"Do it." Lloyd nodded enthusiastically.

"Please do. I'm tired of watching you both act so clueless." Nya said.

"Clueless?" Jay frowned. "What do you mean, clueless?"

Nya snickered, pointing at Jay's face. " _That's_ what I mean, clueless."

He opened his mouth to demand further explanation, but with a bouncy wave, Nya flittered off into her classroom. He then turned to Lloyd, who merely shrugged as an explanation. "When are you going to tell him?"

"After school, probably. So I can run away to the bus as soon as it's done."

"Fair enough, "Lloyd said. "See ya then."

"See ya."

Jay continued to move down the hall on his own. His eyes were lowered, as he planned the words he would tell Cole. His stomach flipped endlessly, but his determination didn't waver.

Focused as he was in his own world, Jay didn't see Kai until he'd crashed head first into him. They both stumbled back, both looking at the other with frazzled expressions.

"Sorry." Jay mumbled, before frowning. "Are you okay?"

"I'm- yeah. Sure. Yeah." Kai shook his head as he spoke, hinting at the very opposite.

Jay wanted to press the question. He truly did. He'd never been terribly close with Nya's brother, but he was close enough to care. But the words didn't form. Instead, he felt a bizarrely heavy feeling pressing against his mind.

Suddenly, he wanted to tell Kai everything. His worries about how Cole felt, his feelings of being absolutely inadequate, and his lack of a goal for when he stepped into the alien world of adulthood.

And so he did.

* * *

Kai recognized the shift in Jay's expression. He'd seen it about a dozen times in the past hour.

Everyone who was close to him for a second too long, would suddenly spill any and all troubles they'd ever faced. The bus driver, his classmates, his teachers, and random strangers. Kai felt exhausted. He hadn't know how many things could be wrong with a person at once, and he dearly wished he _still_ didn't know.

"I really don't want to lose Cole. He's amazing. He. . . he's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. And I'm so terrified of messing it up. I think telling him I like him is the right thing, but I'm not sure. It _feels_ like the right thing, but then again every other decision I make ends up being the wrong one."

Kai felt a little guilty, but he truly didn't want to listen. He wanted out of this dumb wish. With a sheepish smile Kai knew Jay wouldn't remember, he stepped back into the crowd, moving along quickly so as to not spark any more conversation.

He opened the door to the bathroom roughly, making it slam against the wall. The sound echoed throughout. Kai stepped into one of the stalls, glad to see there was no one else in there with him.

The bell rang, but he ignored it. It wasn't like his teachers would even be aware of his presence if he decided to head to class.

Kai zipped open his backpack, reaching for the teapot. He twisted the image into place, readying himself for the poof of smoke.

When the Djinn had formed fully, he smiled down at Kai with a knowingly condescending smile. Kai tried to keep the frustration from his face, but the twitchy look in his eyes revealed enough.

"Here for another wish?"

"Yes." Kai hissed. "What I said before, that wasn't what I wanted at all! I don't want random people telling me every bad thing about their lives. I just want to be able to. . . I just wish I knew what they were _thinking_. That's it.

"No deep conversation about things that happened years ago, or long stories about their misadventures. I just want then to tell me things straight. So I don't have to guess at meanings."

"Ah. Well. Easy mistake. Words mean a lot these days." The Djinn continued to smile. "But well, your wish is yours to keep."

"Thank _you_." Kai said with thick sarcasm.

"I'll be waiting."

"Right, yeah." Kai twisted the teapot. "Whatever."

It wasn't until the Djinn had gone that Kai became acutely aware of a buzzing sound around him. He couldn't really distinguish anything from it. The sound followed him as he exited the bathroom, growing louder and louder as he moved through the hall.

For lack of anywhere better to go, Kai headed to his classroom.

When he opened the door, the dim buzzing grew loud and wild. And he recognized it for what it was.

Words. Sentences. Statements. Dozens and dozens of them, flying out of the minds of his classmates and into his ears. It was overwhelmingly loud. Kai willed himself to step into the classroom, trying to keep his face from showing the deep discomfort he was feeling.

As he slid into the first empty sit, he clutched onto the desk, Desperately trying to find time to think his own thoughts.

* * *

"Cole! Hey!"

Jay waved at his friend, trying to catch his attention. Cole looked back and returned the gesture. They moved toward each other, meeting by the edge of the parking lot. Jay's eyes flitted over to the buses. They wouldn't wait for him long. This had to be fast.

"Hey. What's up? Do you want a ride?"

"No. No. That's okay." Jay shook his head. "I um. I told Nya we'd hang out. I just- I had to tell you something."

"Okay." Cole waited. Jay waited. Cole spoke. "What is it?"

"It's. . ." Now that Cole was there, real and _not_ a daydream, Jay found himself suddenly unable to speak. His heart flitted wildly. He was seconds away from crossing a line he would never be able to turn back from. "I. . ."

"Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"No! I'm fine! So fine. Completely alright." Jay smiled, or tried to. He leaned back on his heels, letting out a forceful breath. "I'm just, trying to find the right words. But I never can. I just go on babbling forever and hope that it, you know, that it comes across eventually."

"Just keep talking then, I'll try to get the point." Cole chuckled softly, but his hands had tightened against the strap of his bag. Jay did not know what to make of this fact.

"Well . . . You're a great friend. And I hope we can keep being friends. Regardless of anything that might leave my mouth in the next minute."

"Uh-huh. . ."

"I. . . Fourth grade. You were really. . . something. I wasn't going to start on fourth grade. Now this makes it creepy. Does it? I don't know. But fourth grade. I thought you were impossibly amazing. We drifted apart, but I never stopped thinking that. I had, the _worst_ crush on you." Jay looked down. "Had, have. Have. So then, we actually got to talking again, and it's just gotten worse, I just really like you. Like a lot. And that's- I'm going to miss my bus."

Jay looked back up, giving a quick smile at Cole's shocked expression. He then turned, running toward the bus that would drive him off to safety. He heard Cole shout his name at least once, but he didn't have the will, or the time, to look back.

He hopped onto the bus, receiving an annoyed glance from the driver. Jay slipped onto a seat by Nya and Lloyd, feeling the heat in his face grow stronger as they stared expectantly.

"So?" They both said in unison.

"So." Jay shrugged, looking down for a brief second before smiling up at them. "So I did it."

* * *

"Nya, I really have to talk to you."

Kai fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket. They sat at the dinner table, eating a quick self-made snack that would keep them afloat until their parents got home. It was a bit refreshing, hearing only his sister's thoughts, but he could feel the pulsing buzz of the neighbors minds in the back of his head.

 _I should write a quick draft. Then I'll talk to Mrs. Garmadon. She can review it for me. See if there's anything I need to change_. "Yeah?"

"It's about the teapot."

 _Then there's that dumb math test. I really don't want to study for it._ "Yeah?"

Kai knew she wasn't listening. He sighed heavily. "Nya, I'm serious, c'mon."

The flow of her thoughts stopped as she looked up at him. "Okay. What?"

"I found the teapot."

 _Right, yeah. Of course he did. I really do need to find that thing though. I haven't heard anything new in a bit. But I know Chris Morris went missing too. And Skylor Chen._ "Where was it?"

Kai squinted his eyes. "It was on the bus."

 _Someone's_ got _to be passing it around._ "Oh?"

"You know what, never mind. I think I need a nap." Kai pushed the chair back roughly, stomping his way up the steps. By the time he reached the top, Nya was already back to thinking about the things she had to get done.

Kai let himself fall onto his bed, feeling at an absolute loss. He wanted to be mad at Nya, but he knew he couldn't blame her. His habit of embellishing the truth was finally biting him back.

Still, he wished his sister could _see_ he was being honest. The helplessness was overwhelming, and he shut his eyes, hoping that the thoughts of others wouldn't interfere with his dreams too.


	11. I Think I Like You Too

Chapter 11- I Think I Like You Too

" _Jay!_ "

Cole watched as Jay's figure grew smaller, without turning around. When the shape hopped into the bus, Cole sighed, then headed toward his truck.

Jay's words danced around in his mind. _I thought you were impossibly amazing_. Cole reached the truck, sliding inside and crumpling onto the seat. He hadn't noticed how terribly shaky his legs had become. _I never stopped thinking that._

Cole forced himself to take a slow breath, to think, to assess the situation. Try as he did, however, his mind simply wouldn't stop spinning. _I just really like you. Like, a lot._

When Jay's words finally faded, only one question remained. Did Cole like Jay back?

He wished Jay hadn't run off. Wished they could have had a good conversation, which would have naturally delve into a good conclusion. But no. Jay had gone, and he only had his thoughts for company.

Cole's phone buzzed on the seat beside him. He turned quickly, but the energy was wasted. It wasn't Jay. It was his dad.

He glanced at the time. He should have already been driving. As it was, he wouldn't make it to his dance class on time. So. . . what was the point of going at all?

The call slipped into voicemail. Cole knew his father would hiss about it later, but he didn't care. He needed a moment with himself.

Or maybe, a moment with a friend.

With shaky fingers, Cole dialed Kai's number. It was about time they all made up. The phone rang. Then it stopped abruptly, as if the call had been rejected. Cole's stomach dropped. He'd been so focused on staying upset, the possibility of his friends growing tired of waiting had not occurred to him.

 _He's probably just busy._ Cole told himself with a nod. Then he dialed Zane.

Zane answered. Cole shuddered with relief. _Hello? Cole? Is everything alright?_

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." He waited to sort out his words, knowing that Zane would wait right along with him. "I called Kai, but he didn't answer. Is he okay?"

 _I am not sure. He has been a little quiet as of late._ Zane said. _But he seems healthy, if a bit sleep deprived._

"Cool, cool." So maybe Kai didn't want to talk to him after all. Well. That was alright. Or at least, Cole was going to pretend it was. "I was wondering if. . . You wanted to hang out? I'm. . . skipping on dance class for today and I . . . well. . ."

 _Of course. I would love that. Should we meet in the usual place?_ Cole was infinitely glad for Zane's ability to jump back into normalcy. He truly needed some of that, while his world stubbornly spun out of orbit.

"Yes. That sounds great, Zane. Thank you. . ."

 _I am glad we can talk again. I am sure that Kai will feel better in no time, once he learns of this._

"Yeah. . . You two are the best. Sorry I've been such a grump. I just-"

 _You do not need to apologize. I will see you there._

Short and to the point. So Zane. Cole smiled, then hung up after giving his friend a good-bye.

They would talk. Cole would work things out. And then, then he'd call Jay.

* * *

"What _are_ you doing?"

Jay fumbled with his phone, doing his best to try and forget it existed. He'd put it on vibrate, then he'd put in on silent, then he'd shoved it deep into his backpack, along with discarded wrappers and smushed assignments. Nya watched him, amused.

"Just. . . Um. . . Nothing in particular. Waiting for my dad to get here mainly. Wonder what we'll eat today. I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Jay visibly jittered with pent up energy, as he nudged the backpack away from himself. "School was long today, wasn't it? Longer than usual. Do you think he's thinking about me? He thinks I'm crazy, doesn't he? Oh man, I added the fourth grade thing. I was so proud of myself for a moment but now, I should have let things be!

"Right? Because. . . Right? What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore? Dude, Nya, _Dude_ , why did I tell him I liked him? How did I think it was a good idea? I can't remember what was going through my mind anymore. I'm losing it!"

" _Jay_." Nya grasped her friend's shoulders with a tight grip. " _Breathe_."

Jay did. He took a deep, long breath that expanded both his chest and his stomach. He let it go with a spluttering sound, half melting into Nya's arms. Nya let him drop against the bed. "You thought it was a good idea because it _was_. Trust me. You two click well. Even if he doesn't like you back, he'll be your friend. You know he will."

"Yeah. . ." Jay covered his face with his hand. "I know. But-"

"And if he _does_ like you back," Nya continued, interrupting Jay's words. "Then. . ."

"Then?"

"You'll get to be the boyfriend of Ninjago's pride and joy."

Jay blushed, shaking his head. "I'd like to not get any sort of hopes up. He'll most likely not say anything at all. Yeah. We'll probably just. . . go on like nothing happened."

Nya opened her mouth to argue against this, but her eyes flickered to the window. "Oh. Your dad's here."

"Neat-o!" Jay hopped up.

"You better let me know what happens with Cole! And if he texts you, you better answer him!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Jay shouted as he trotted down the stairs, giving Nya a lazy wave.

His father asked the usual questions about his day, and Jay gave him the usual dismissive answers. They reached home, and as he wandered into his room, Jay struggled with the decision of whether or not to check his phone.

In the end, his curiosity was larger than his fear, and he retrieved the small device. One missed call. And three little messages.

 _Jay!_

 _Jaaaay_

 _Guess who's hanging out with Zane_

He smiled at the last message, before shoving the phone into his pocket. So. No mention of anything in reference of Jay's confession. It made him feel disappointed and achy. Jay knew Cole glazing over everything was a very real possibility, but he hadn't wanted it to come true.

With unspent adrenaline bouncing all throughout, Jay went out into the junkyard, debating on whether or not to return Cole's call. In the end, he opted for texting Nya instead. She would know what to do.

As his fingers moved through the letters, his phone rang, interrupting the half written text. It was Cole.

Answering was the very last thing Jay wanted to do. Still, Cole _was_ his friend. He couldn't suddenly start ignoring him. With a slow breath, Jay answered.

"Hello. . ."

 _Jay! There you are. You didn't answer my texts. Or my call, earlier._

"I was with Nya. I forgot to . . . put volume on my phone. Sorry. But I did see the text. Now. I saw it now. So, Zane, huh? I'm glad! Are you guys good?"

 _I think so, yeah. It felt like we were. We couldn't get ahold of Kai though. Is he okay?_

"Uh." Jay frowned, trying to think. But his mind had been so fizzled with thoughts of his confession, that he couldn't recall anything clearly at all. "I . . . think so? I was . . . distracted though. So I don't. . . remember."

 _Distracted, huh?_ Cole's tone was full of teasing. _I wonder why_.

"Yeah. . ." Jay said, for lack of a better response. It felt like they were playing a game, each stubbornly waiting for the other to say something. Jay was determined to win it. He'd done his part. Now it was Cole's turn.

 _Well I hope's he's okay. I'm guessing you're not at Nya's anymore?_

"Nope. I'm home. I'll check with Kai tomorrow morning though. Or I could call Nya right now, if you wanted?"

 _No, that's okay._

Silence. Jay paced around, trying to keep his frustration from bubbling up to the surface. Why couldn't Cole be bothered to say _something_? If Cole didn't like him back, fine, that was fine, it was alright. But he should at least say it. Instead of leaving Jay hanging with absolutely no-

 _I think I like you too._

Jay dropped the phone.

He stared down at it for a couple of seconds, before kneeling and struggling to put it back up to his ear. "S-Sorry. I dropped- I dropped the phone."

 _Did you. . . hear what I said?_

"Yes. Yeah. Yes. I uh- I did."

 _I just. . . well, oh man, I feel really awkward right now._ Cole laughed. _But well, you said something! So. I guess I. . . Well, I've really enjoyed spending time with you. And. . . well you know, I've never. . . I'd never really. . . thought of dating anyone. I've never dated anyone._

"Yeah well, me either." Jay laughed along with Cole, nerves and rapidly beating heart leaving him no other choice.

 _Good, good. I won't have to be awkward alone then._

"Trust me, with me? You'll never have to be awkward alone at _anything_. My whole existence is awkward." Was Cole asking him out? Or well, trying to? Jay really, really couldn't tell. He didn't know where else to go with the conversation, now either.

How the _heck_ did people ever actually start dating?

 _That's good to hear._ Silence. Painfully long silence. _Homecoming is really close now._

"It is?" Jay frowned, trying to count the days in his head. The school year was really zooming by _fast_. "Oh. I guess it is. I've never gone."

 _Seriously? Well, we need to change that._

"We do?"

 _Duh._ Somehow, Cole had managed to regain his suave confidence. _How about it?_

"How about what?"

 _Do you want to go to homecoming with me?_

"Oh!" Jay blinked. " _Oh_."

Cole waited.

"I. . . Sure? Yes. Yeah. Are you. . . You're serious? Yes. I would. Yes."

He chuckled as his feelings overflowed.

 _Alright, Jay._ _I'll look forward to it._

* * *

Jay couldn't believe it was possible to feel so incredibly excited.

Cole's father had re-tightened the leash of responsibilities around his son, leaving them with almost no time to hang out. Regardless of this, each time Cole shared with him a secret, knowing smile, Jay could feel his heart getting ready to bounce out of his chest.

Sharing the news with Nya and Lloyd had felt incredible.

"Dude. _Dude_." Nya laughed, continuously nudging his shoulder as they walked along the park. "You're serious? He _asked_ you to homecoming?"

"He did!" Jay beamed. " Mom's over the moon on the fact that I'm actually going this year. We're going to the thrift store today, see if we can find something nice."

"So what do your parents think about. . . Cole?" Lloyd asked tentatively.

"Ah." Jay lowered his eyes. "I haven't. . . been very detailed. I'm like. . . 90% sure dad thinks I asked Nya. And I'm sure mom isn't thinking about _who_ I'm going with at all, she's just hyped on the fact that I'm _going_."

"I mean, I'll cover for you if you need it, but. . . " Nya offered, but Jay shook his head.

"No, I'll tell them. Cole's going to pick me up anyway, so they'll know sooner or later."

"Better they know sooner." Lloyd said, and Jay shrugged.

They walked around in silence for a second, each encased in their own thoughts. A sudden memory sparked up in Jay's mind, and he turned to Nya. "Oh! Right. How's Kai? Cole's been trying to talk to him for a while but he hasn't had any luck."

Nya scowled. "Beats me. He doesn't want to talk to me either. He even backed out of doing the project together! I mean fine by _me_ , but I was trying to help _him_ out. He's just in one of his stubbornly angsty moods. He'll get over it."

"Oh. So you don't know if he's mad at Cole or anything?"

"Well he's mad at _something_. But I don't know what it is. He was talking about finding the teapot the other day, but no way. He just wanted attention. He's always making random stuff up."

For a moment, Jay's stomach twisted. Everything was coming together perfectly. The rumors of the teapot had ceased, and he'd nearly forgotten the start of his eventful year as a senior. Things could _not_ go sour _now_. "And you're sure he was lying?"

"Probably."

"Because if he was telling the truth it. . ." _He could have wished for something, and gotten something awful in return._

 _But how do you know this, Jay? You said you'd never seen the teapot._

 _Well I'm a horrible friend, so I lied. Why? Don't know! Ha-Ha-Ha_

The conversation played out automatically in his head, and he instantly refrained from saying anything that would tie him to the teapot. Kai was fine. Nya knew him better than anyone. If she thought he was lying, he most likely was.

"No, you're right. He's probably lying." Jay forced himself to laugh. "Remember when he said he'd taken down a gang in Ninjago City?"

" _Yes_." Nya chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Or when he supposedly stopped a robbery at the museum?"

"When he tried to convince you he could see ghosts?"

Nya and Jay continued to bounce random stories back and forth, laughing at the incredibly ridiculous things Kai had said once upon a time. Lloyd lingered behind, only half listening. When they finally ran out of things to stay, he trotted back forward to catch up.

"He could be telling the truth _this_ time." Lloyd said, continuing on even after Nya shook her head. "I bumped into him on the hall the other day. He looked really. . . tired. Maybe we should talk to him?"

"It's nice of you to worry, but trust me, he's just a _really_ good actor." Nya assured Lloyd, although her younger friend wasn't fully convinced. "Don't let him fool you. He'll find something else to play at soon enough."

"I don't know." Lloyd looked down. "I guess."


	12. On Missing Brothers And Awkward Dances

**Hello! Quick heads up, Next week I'll be updating my mini-halloween fic, so there will be no update for this. Sorry! But hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12-On Missing Brothers and Awkward Dances

The night of Homecoming arrived. Jay's parents still knew nothing of Cole.

It truly wasn't so surprising. One of Jay's many useless talents was to put difficult things off until the last minute. And it really _was_ the last minute. Cole would arrvive soon enough.

As of now, Jay sat in the living room, one of his feet tapping away restlessly. He fidgeted with his blue bowtie, then moved his hands up to his hair. A light smack ushered them away.

"You're going to ruin it before you even get there! Don't fidget."

"Sorry, Ma, sorry." Jay clenched and unclenched his fingers, then settled for sitting on top of his hands.

"So when's this mysterious date of yours getting here?" His dad shouted from the kitchen, although this was completely unnecessary, their trailer being as small as it was.

"Any time now," Jay responded. "I hope."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the telltale sound of rolling tires reached them. Both his mom and dad perked up at the sound, eyes shining with excitement. They rushed outside together.

Jay hesitated to follow, fearful of their reaction.

But there really was no choice. He stood, moving out into the junkyard with shaky steps. Cole stood beside his truck, already shaking hands with that easy smile of his. Both his parents seemed at ease with the revelation of their son's date, acting like their usual, chattering selves.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around!" His mother said.

"Definitely not." His father shook his head. Jay slinked past them, to stand beside Cole.

"He- We- Um, we just met this year, actually. I mean we met in fourth grade but we didn't talk much, but now we talk and. . . yeah. He's my- He's Cole. My date. To homecoming."

"Well, Cole, I hope we see more of you! I want to get to know you. Don't let Jay hide you from us. He gets a bit embarrassed about living in a junkyard, but don't mind that, come around any time! Alright?"

Cole snickered softly, seeing Jay in his mother's excitable attitude. "Of course. I'll make sure to visit."

"Good!" Edna beamed. She patted her son's hair back to perfection and adjusted the bowtie until she was satisfied.

"Alright Edna, we should let them go. Or else they'll be standing here all night!" Ed took his wife's hand, gently tugging her back to give Jay and Cole some space.

She nodded in agreement. "Alright, alright. You two have fun, okay? And I want to hear _all_ about it Jay. You better not just come home saying it was 'good'. Or I'll call Cole and ask _him_."

"Ha-Ha okay, mom," Jay replied, voice strained. He looped around the truck to hop inside, in order to usher things into motion. Now that his parents had met Cole, Jay was eager to get on with the rest of the night.

He felt a mix of nerves and anxiety, but not in an overwhelming manner, surprisingly enough. Everything felt surreal, which left him feeling disconnected enough to remain calm.

After giving his parents one last wave, Cole climbed into the truck. "They're really nice. I like them."

"They're a little annoying." Jay chuckled softly. "But yes."

"Nice bowtie, by the way."

"Thanks. Thank you. Yeah. I . . . like blue. And, I liked it." Jay bit his lip, feeling as if it was _his_ turn to deliver a compliment, but not quite knowing what to go for. Saying _I like everything about you_ felt like, perhaps, a little too much. "I like . . . your hair."

"I worked _eons_ on it. So thank you. I've never done anything with it before. I didn't realize what a challenge it was to make hair _do_ things." Cole's eyes moved to the rearview mirror, as he admired his handy work. "Did want to try and look nice though, so I kept at it."

"I can't. . . believe this is a thing that's happening." Jay said, fighting against the threat of silence. That would only give him time to settle into reality. And _that_ would only make his nerves spark. "I mean, wow, I've never even _been_ to homecoming. And now I am! And I get to go with. . . you."

"You've never been to homecoming? I would have thought Nya would drag you to it every year." Cole smirked, and Jay mirrored the smile. "That's what Kai does to _me_ , anyway. Since he doesn't want to go _alone_. But this is the only year I've actually tried to look presentable."

"Well, you succeeded." Jay said, before quickly shifting the subject. "Are we bringing Kai too, then?"

"No, no. Just us." Cole said. Before Jay could beam at this statement, however, he continued. "He hasn't answered any of my calls. Or texts. So I guess he isn't coming."

"Ah." Jay tried not to frown, as his brain began to overthink everything. If he _had_ texted Kai about homecoming, did this mean this was _not_ a date? Cole's words suddenly echoed back at him.

 _I think I like you too._

The phrase had been sweet, but vague. Cole _thought_ he liked him. He hadn't said he _did_. So maybe this was never meant to be a date at all. Maybe Cole just wanted a small free-trial of hanging out with Jay in a somewhat romantic setting to see if it was worth the effort.

The dream-like calmness shattered.

* * *

"There's Jay! And Cole!" Nya waved her arms enthusiastically, hoping to grab their attention.

"Good for them," Kai groaned, feeling dazed with the thoughts flitting in and out of his mind. He couldn't even distinguish which words belonged to who anymore. Kai felt extremely irritated, and he couldn't think of a good reason on why he'd come at all.

"Can you at least pretend you're having a good time? Why didn't you stay home?" Once Jay and Cole had spotted her, Nya turned back to her brother. "I mean, you clearly don't want to be here."

"Clearly." Kai shrugged, having absolutely no will to try and be polite.

Before Nya could hiss out a response, Cole and Jay reached them. Kai flinched. The number of words in Jay's head was extremely overwhelming. They were somehow louder than everyone else's, making Kai's headache worse than it already was.

Kai rubbed his head, then realized that Cole was staring at him, as if expecting something. " _What_?"

He flinched at the edge in his voice. Cole did too.

"I just said I didn't know you were coming. You didn't answer any of my messages."

"Oh. That. I lost my phone. Somewhere." Kai shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

Cole said something else, but Kai didn't hear it. He really shouldn't have come. Maybe he had only wanted an excuse to make a scene, to have someone _listen_ , to have someone _help_ him.

Even though he had the teapot safely tucked in the inside pocket of his suit, he made no attempt to show it off. If he did, Nya would take it. Then goodbye final wish. Not to mention they were all bound to find out how bad Kai was at wishing. How horribly he'd messed everything up.

And his mind would absorb every one of their judgments.

He needed it all to just. . . go away. He needed his last wish.

Kai pulled himself back into the moment. His sister was gushing over Jay's outfit and hair, while the latter pretended to smile, although the disarray of thoughts still plagued his mind. Cole stood by him, acting as relaxed and aloof as ever, but Kai now knew all too well what an act it all was. He gave his head a small shake, realizing that Cole had once again been addressing him.

". . . To Zane. And it was good. I know I probably made a big deal out of everything, and I'm sorry. I just want us to go back to being friends."

"You know, you should be talking to _Jay_ , not me." Kai pointed out. "Quit the nice, perfect boy act. You're making him feel bad. If you like him, then _tell_ him that."

Cole frowned. Kai laughed. That earned him a concerned look, but he turned away from it, stalking off into the hall.

He slipped the teapot from his pocket, still moving, away from the thumping music and the invasive thoughts.

"Last wish it is." Kai sighed.

* * *

Cole watched Kai slip away.

He turned to Jay, knowing his friend (former friend?) had been right. Cole was so used to downplaying any sort of powerful emotion, that he'd hardly noticed he'd slipped into his Perfect Boy self.

 _Nice bowtie?_ Cole mocked himself. _Really?_

He'd already told Jay that he hated pretending. Acting calm and aloof when he wanted to gush and smile _was_ pretending. He needed to be genuine. _Had_ to be.

Cole cleared his throat, regaining Jay and Nya's attention. He gave Jay a smile he _hoped_ looked real, and not practiced. Then he spoke, stuttering slightly as he allowed the beating of his heart to become excited and erratic. "So. . . How- How about a dance, then?"

Jay blinked, then frowned, then blinked again. "Right. Dancing. That's a thing people do at well . . . dances."

Nya nudged him, and Jay hissed something inaudible. Cole held out his hand. "Come on, I didn't ask you to come with me so that we could stand here all night."

Jay's emotions flooded his pupils. It was hypnotic. Cole couldn't get enough.

When Jay accepted Cole's hand, they moved forward. Jay took a shaky breath before speaking. "Just so you know, I don't _dance_. I mean I dance, everyone dances, but I don't do it well."

"Okay, that's cool. I don't do it well either."

"Liar," Jay scowled. "You go to dance classes!"

"Me? No. You must be confusing me with a different Cole." Jay smiled hesitantly, eyes filled with amusement and confusion as he tried to figure out whether or not to laugh. "Does _this_ look like someone who takes classes six days a week?"

Cole danced. Well, _danced_ was a terrible overstatement. His body moved quite obviously out of rhythm, and the movements were exaggerated and goofy. This time, Jay _did_ break into bright laughter, which only encouraged Cole more.

"Okay, okay. I get your point!" Jay said in between laughs. "You _really_ don't have to keep doing this."

"I'll keep going till you join me."

"Well. . . At least you'll make me look good."

With a slight pout, Jay danced too. His movements were stiff and self-conscious at first, but ever so slowly, he began to loosen up. It was hard _not_ to, when Cole was acting as silly as he was. Besides, Jay was feeling a surprising amount of things, and it was hard to stay still as they pumped through him.

Neither Cole nor Jay could have said how long they went on. The songs blended into each other, and in between laughter and smiles, neither of them were too worried about the passage of time.

Then the beat changed, startling them both out of the moment. The music became slower, flipping from upbeat to romantic. Jay stopped dancing altogether, the relaxed aura he'd gained leaving in an instant.

"Er. . . well, that was fun." He smiled. "But I'm thirsty. So- Well, we should probably get a drink."

"C'mon. _One_ slow dance." Cole held his hand out again. Jay pouted. It was difficult to resist, mainly because he did not want to do so.

"I'm all sweaty." He protested weakly, already gingerly slipping his hand into Cole's. "I smell gross, probably."

"Not worse than me." Cole smirked, taking hold of Jay's hand and tugging him a little closer.

Jay blushed but tried to go with the flow, forcing himself to think of the music itself and _not_ the fact that holy unholy he was so incredibly, impossibly, close to Cole.

"I'm sorry I was kind of awkward in the drive here," Cole spoke, voice soft, for Jay's ears only. Jay couldn't find the strength to meet his eyes, but he listened intently. "And I'm sorry I was. . . well, ambiguous with my answer after you told me you liked me. I _do_ like you, Jay. I really, really do.

"I mean, ever since I met you, I could feel myself changing. Becoming. . . more _me_ and less. . . less whatever it is people expect me to be. Who knows, maybe you'll give me the guts to tell my dad I don't want to go to college."

"Thank you. For saying that. It means a lot. I didn't. . . think I was helping anything if I'm honest." _In fact, I'm pretty sure I made your life worse. Ha-Ha._ Jay forced himself to look up. "I'm glad I. . . was able to. . . help. . ."

His words slowed as his heart sped. Jay could feel himself standing over the edge of a very important moment, a moment he didn't dare imagine for risk of chasing it away. Cole leaned down, and Jay leaned forward.

Their lips touched. Jay could felt everything within him unravel. His mind shook with the impossibility of it all. Here he was, Jay Walker, the least interesting person in the universe, somehow having reached the peak of his very own love story.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to scream. Most importantly though, he wanted to stay right where he was, with Cole's warm comforting body cradling his own.

Then the universe shoved them both apart.

There was a tap on his shoulder. Jay spun away from the moment, to face the culprit. Nya. "I'm really, really sorry. But. . . I can't find Kai. I don't think he'd go home without telling me. I just. . . he's been acting really weird and I- I don't know."

His best friend's expression was stressed. Jay's world shifted. He was once more dangerously leaning over the edge of something, but this time, the something was much less appealing.

If Kai had found the teapot, and he'd gone missing. . .

Then it was now or never. He needed to tell them he'd had it. Needed to help his best friend.

"I'm worried he might have been telling the truth about the teapot. And if he was. . . and. . ." Nya grimaced, unable to continue.

Jay's eyes shifted over to Cole. The person his heart yearned for the most. And the person he was bound to lose if the truth came to light. _I wish everything about his life wasn't_ so _utterly perfect_.

Time slowed, waiting for Jay to make a decision. He was ashamed at how easy the choice was.

"I doubt it, Nya. He's probably okay." Jay lied, still clutching onto Cole's hand. "We'll help you look for him, alright?"


	13. The Knowledgeable Wallflower

Chapter 13- The Knowledgeable Wallflower

Jay was going to tell Nya. He was. Truly.

He was only biding his time. Searching for the right words. It was a difficult confession, after all. Nya's reaction would be a force to be reckoned with. Jay only wanted to be prepared.

Until then, he'd still do everything to help her find the teapot. Even if it meant possibly having his secret shoved into the open before he was ready. Jay owed her that much, at the very least.

But-

Nya was not the only person Jay owed the truth too. There was also, of course, Cole.

The more Jay spent time with him, the more he began to believe that. . . maybe he would understand. After all, Jay hadn't _meant_ to wish for Cole's life to fall apart. So there was no reason to despise him. . . right?

It was just, the slim chance that Cole might hate him was a _little_ too much. Cole had quickly become a crucial part of Jay's life, and the thought of losing him was something Jay couldn't bear.

So he was left in a weird void, waiting for things to fall apart, trying to make the best of it all while he still had it. It was dumb, Jay knew. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything else.

With these thoughts, he strolled through the street, heading to Cole's house. It would be the first time he ever saw the place, and he already felt intimidated. The houses on either side of the street were _huge_ , at least by Jay's standards. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to grow up like this

What he _could_ imagine, all too well, was Cole's father. After all he'd heard about the man, Jay had built a very terrifying image. This made every one of his steps small and reluctant.

Jay rang the doorbell, praying silently that Cole would be the one to open.

But of course it wasn't.

"You must be Jay. Cole said you'd be along." Granted, the man _looked_ less terrifying than what Jay had pictured, but the stern, judging look in his dark eyes still made Jay wobble where he stood.

"Yes. That's me. Hi." Jay held out his hand. Cole's father ignored it.

"I suppose you're the reason he's been slacking off so much?"

"Er. . ."

"Jay!"

Cole's voice came as a relief. It took all of Jay's will not to sprint straight into his arms. "Cole! Hey. I brought you- brought you the homework. How are you holding up?"

"Stomach still doesn't feel the best. Figures I'd get food poisoning though. I've been on a streak of bad luck all year." Cole smiled, and Jay both envied and admired his ability to shrug off whatever the world threw at him.

"Yeah. . . Well, Mrs. Garmadon said you can do your presentation whenever you get back. And. . . That's all. Nya says hi. Same with Lloyd." Jay gave a small nod, trying to avoid direct contact with the eyes of Cole's dad. He then took a step back, more than ready to leave.

"Wait, why don't you stay? For a bit at least."

"Um." Jay froze on the spot. On the one hand, seeing Cole's room felt like a _major_ relationship milestone. On the other, there was his dad. "Is that. . . okay?"

Cole's father shrugged, turning away to go deeper into the house. Cole watched his father leave, then held his hand out. "Of course it's okay. C'mon."

Jay took Cole's hand, grip tight as he sought for comfort in unfamiliar ground. When Cole opened the door to his room. Jay froze in awe before stepping inside. The room itself was just as big as the trailer he'd grown up in.

It held a bed, a desk, a dresser, _and_ space to spare. Jay gave a low whistle, eyes taking in every detail. They halted by a large piano keyboard. Multiple music sheets were scattered upon and around it. Cole followed Jay's line of sight, then hurried to shove the papers into one pile.

"Sorry, it's messy. Not a lot of inspiration to keep things tidy when you're sick." Cole smirked, before moving the sheets out of sight.

"You should play something!" Jay moved up to the keyboard, pressing down on one of the keys. A goofy smile spread through his face. He played another note, then another. "I've heard you sing, but I've never seen you play."

"Okay, sure. Any requests?"

"Uh. . ." Jay frowned, trying to come up with something. But his mind was blank "Play anything you like."

"Okay." Cole nodded.

The tune was fast and upbeat. Jay found himself completely mesmerized by the way Cole's hands moved. He couldn't even begin to understand how fingers could move so independently from one another.

When Cole finished, Jay clapped with enthusiasm. " _Dude_. That was amazing. You're amazing!"

"Thank you." Cole gave an exaggerated bow. "So. . ."

"So. . ."

"Why don't I, uh-, play some music? From my phone this time, I mean." Cole chuckled awkwardly. Jay gave a nod, before allowing himself to drop onto Cole's bed.

"Stars above and worms below this bed is _heaven_." Jay shut his eyes, body melting against the soft surface. "My mattress feels like a wooden plank compared to this.

Cole laid down beside him. Hesitantly, Jay moved to lean his head against Cole's shoulder. He then proceeded to bite his lips shut, in order to hold back a fit of giggles. When the giddiness faded into normalcy, Jay spoke.

"So does your dad know? About. . . us?"

"Yeah."

"And he's okay with it?"

"Okay would be an overstatement. He isn't okay with anything that keeps me from 'giving my all' to music." Cole scowled as he spoke. "But whatever. I told him you weren't going anywhere. He was mad, but he got over it.

"He's been pushing the little holiday camp thing pretty hard though. Every day I have to hear something or other about it. I hate it. It's almost December and I'm _so_ not ready. I don't want to go! It's going to be the worst."

"You should probably tell him sometime, that you aren't into this. You can't keep doing something you don't want to do _forever_."

"Trust me, I so could. As much as I complain, I would hate to let my dad down. He's so invested in this."

"Yeah but. . ." Jay shrugged. "It's not his life, you know? What would _you_ want to do, if you could choose anything?"

"I don't know," Cole said, honestly. "I haven't really had time to figure myself out. I guess all I really want is have _that_. Time with myself. To figure out what I'm passionate about. . . you know, all that good stuff. What about you? What do you want to do?"

"Engineering. I applied to Ninjago Tech. That's where Cyrus Borg graduated from, you know. He's definitely my role model." Jay bit his lip. "But. . . okay, when I was a kid, sometimes I would pretend I was a game show host."

" _Really_?"

"Yeah! I mean . . . I like making people laugh. And I don't know. I was weird." Jay blushed, thinking back to his previous endeavors.

"I could see it. You've got charisma. You just need to work on not being so self-conscious."

"Maybe so." Jay shook his head. "But you could work on being more assertive."

"We've both got a long way to go then, Walker."

* * *

Lloyd was lonely.

Which wasn't all that surprising. Lloyd was used to being alone, to being in the background of anything and everything. But it hadn't always been that way. As a child, Lloyd had been brash, bold, and bouncy. All of his teachers had spoken his name with a worrisome sigh.

Things had changed quickly. When his father had gotten a job offer on the other side of Ninjago, he'd moved the family right along with him. Lloyd hadn't ever quite recovered from the harsh change.

He'd wound up withdrawing into himself. At first, he'd been sad, but as time went on, he had learned to be okay with not being the center of attention. Lloyd had a couple of people that cared for him, and that was more than enough.

Except. . . now it _wasn't_ enough.

Nya was preoccupied with thoughts of her brother. Lloyd didn't blame her, couldn't blame her. He was understanding and kind, giving her both space and support as she needed.

Jay, on the other hand, was preoccupied with thoughts of Cole. Lloyd couldn't blame him either. Jay had been pining over the guy for as long as Lloyd had known him, and now that things were real, he had every right to be distracted.

So truly, Lloyd had no business bothering either of them.

"Lloyd! Honey?" At the sound of his mother's voice, Lloyd snapped away from his thoughts. He looked away from the book he hadn't been reading. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you let your friend, Jay, have this? I meant to give it to him ages ago, but it keeps slipping my mind during class." His mom handed Lloyd a thick book. Lloyd couldn't imagine why Jay could possibly need it. "Tell him the story of the teapot is in there. And that I'm sorry I took so long."

"Ah." Lloyd's eyes sparked with the new knowledge. "Okay. I'll let him know."

It was easy to put two and two together then.

That day on the bus, when Jay had suddenly asked, _If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?_ Long before any rumors of the teapot had surfaced.

His frantic opposition to said rumors. At first, Lloyd had taken this as a sign of Jay's need to agree with Cole, but now. . .

Then there was, of course, the unbelievable way Jay's life had seemed to change in the span of a couple of months.

"Oh, Jay." Lloyd flickered through the book, stopping by the image of a rusted teapot. "What the heck did you get yourself into?"

* * *

Lloyd stood by Jay's locker. Waiting. Jay frowned at the sight.

This was highly unusual. He stepped closer tentatively, a sense of foreboding pulsing through him in the form of unspent adrenaline. "Hey, Lloyd. Er… Why aren't you on the bus?"

"Forget the bus today. Mom can take us home." Lloyd shrugged, slipping a book from his backpack. "I need to talk to you."

"Talk to me? What's- What's that?" Jay took the book, half expecting it to explode in his hands. When it didn't he opened it slowly. Lloyd flipped the pages for him, stopping at the one titled _The Teapot of Tyrhan._

"Mom asked me to give this to you. Apparently, you were interested. At the beginning of the school year."

"Oh. Right I- Right, yeah." Jay shut the book with unnecessary force. "Yeah. Thanks."

Lloyd crossed his arms. Raised a questioning eyebrow. "And _why_ exactly, were you interested?"

"W-well, the rumors were-"

"This was _way_ before then."

Jay bit his lip. He balanced himself on one leg. Then the other. Then he crumpled with a sigh. "Can we talk outside?"

"Sure."

They walked around the school grounds. Jay made sure to speak only when he was far enough away from any potential eavesdroppers. "Okay, yes. I _had_ the teapot. And I lost it. In school. But whatever anyone wished for afterward, that's not my responsibility! I'm not the teapot's guardian."

"Yeah but. . . you still lied. To me _and_ Nya. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I really wanted to! Most of all after Kai found it. But I was scared. Because, well, I wished for something I shouldn't have, and I don't want Cole to find out."

"Did you wish for him to like you?"

"No!" Jay shook his head. " _No_. Of course not. That's not even a thing you can wish! And even if it was I'd never-. . . I wouldn't."

"The what _did_ you wish for?"

"Okay, let's just establish I didn't mean to wish it in the first place, okay? It was just sort of. . . a slip of the tongue. You know I talk too much. I'm bound to say things I don't mean. You _do_ know, right?" Jay looked at Lloyd with desperate eyes. His green-eyed friend gave a small nod. "I just wished. . . that his life wasn't so perfect. Because everything _seemed_ perfect. And now so many bad things keep happening to him, and he thinks _I'm_ the only good thing in his life, but he doesn't know _I'm_ the source of it. And I can't lose him. I can't."

Lloyd thought for a moment, ingesting Jay's confession properly before reacting. "I can't make you tell him. I don't know how things would turn out. I'd like to think he'd understand but. . . Regardless, Jay, you need to tell Nya. She's worried sick about Kai, and if she finds out you've had the teapot on her own, she is _not_ going to forgive you."

"I know." Jay shut his eyes. He put both hands on his hips, pressing down against his sides. His stomach was an aching turmoil of emotions. "I know."

"I'll keep your secret," Lloyd promised. "But think about it. She's your best friend. I think she deserves to know."

"I know."


	14. First Step Is Always A Stumble

Chapter 14- First Step Is Always A Stumble

Kai had been missing for a month. A _month_.

It made Nya sick with guilt to think about it. He'd had the teapot, and she hadn't believed him. She could have stopped him. Could have saved him. . . somehow. But she'd pushed him away, laughing at his struggles like the horrible sister she was.

Day after day, she did her best to track down the cursed object, but somehow it always evaded her.

Things felt overwhelming, and it didn't help she couldn't exactly share these things with her parents. Nya had to make things right on her own. She needed to save her brother, and she needed to stay on top of all other responsibilities.

Except, Nya hadn't been doing so good. Her grades were slipping, even with support from her teachers. Her mind simply wasn't in it. Not only that, but she'd been neglecting Jay and Lloyd's friendship.

 _When was the last time I even_ talked _to them?_

Nya couldn't remember. She knew Jay had stopped taking the bus, opting for sharing a ride with Cole instead. It was a good way to spend time together, despite Cole's tight schedule. And Lloyd. . . still rode the bus with her. Right?

Nya frowned. She couldn't recall.

A knock on the door made her body jolt involuntarily. "Yes- Yeah?"

"Hey." Nya's father peeked inside his daughter's room. There was a sharp darkness that framed his eyes, and his usually well-trimmed beard was growing out of control. Nya knew she did not look much better. "We're going down to the NPD. They're getting all the parents from the missing kids together. We might not be home when you get back from school. Take care, okay?"

"Yeah." Nya nodded. "I will."

"Don't worry too much. Your brother will turn up."

Again, Nya nodded. Kai _would_ be back. She would personally make sure of it.

Her father left, and Nya continued to scribble down all she knew about the teapot. A slight buzzing from her phone broke her concentration. She glanced at the new message. It was from Jay.

 _Hey. . . We need to talk._

Nya's stomach sunk. Jay had to be upset at the way she'd kept him at arm's length. The consequences of her shifted focus were arriving at last. Well. Nya had never been one to shy away from confrontation. She took a slow breath before replying.

 _Yeah, I know._

She bit her lip. When had she become such a terrible friend?

* * *

Jay sat in the back of Cole's truck, slowly sipping at a cup of hot chocolate.

A cool breeze played with his hair, and he snuggled further into his jacket. Cole caught the movement, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder, to pull him close.

"We really should have started dating sooner," Cole said, popping a small cookie into his mouth. "Your dad makes _the_ best cookies I've ever tasted. I can't believe I've been missing out."

"They're pretty good." Jay nodded. "But you haven't lived until you've tasted his pies."

"You _have_ to invite me over."

"Anytime." Jay smiled. "They like you a lot. I mean I hope they do. I think they do. I never. . . really shut up about you lately so . . ."

They sat in silence for a moment, content with enjoying each other's presence. Jay loved it. The school's parking lot was still mostly empty. The sun just now beginning to step into the horizon.

Jay had never been particularly eager to wake up early, but now, well now he didn't mind it at all. Heck, he would even give up _all_ sleep, if it meant spending more time with Cole.

"Can I shoot you with a really heavy question?"

Jay turned. His eyes made brief contact with Cole's. "Uh-oh. Yes?"

"If there's something you need to tell someone. . . and you _know_ the more you wait the worse it'll be. . . but you also know that when you _do_ tell them, nothing is going to be the same again. . . what do you do?" Cole looked down as he spoke, and Jay felt his body tighten. "Just throw caution to the wind and tell them? Or. . . try to live without saying anything, and hope things resolve themselves?'

 _He knows. He knows. I don't know how, but he knows._ Jay's thoughts fluttered around his mind in a panic. He didn't know how to respond. So he didn't.

"Sorry." Cole shook his head. "I just, I really want to tell my dad about. . . the whole Marty Oppenheimer thing. But that school means everything to him. Should mean everything to me too. . . he's been building me up for this since I was in diapers."

"Oh. _Oh_." Jay melted with relief. "That."

"Yeah. . . why? There some sort of secret you hiding, Walker?"

"No!" Jay shook his head frantically, then slowed the movements, to make his reaction a bit less suspicious. "Well, I think you should . . . just come clean. It's better to do something than not, right? At least then you'll know the outcome."

 _You're the one to talk._ Jay's inner voice mocked him. He frowned, fidgeting with the sleeves of his jacket as he reached a decision. "You know, I actually _do_ have something kind of like that. I've been meaning to talk to Nya about. . . things. But I haven't."

Jay could tell Cole's curiosity was piqued, but he knew Cole wouldn't force him to elaborate.

"So do you want to. . . make a pact?" Cole suggested. "You talk to Nya by the end of today. I talk to my dad. And whatever happens, we've got each other."

Jay nodded. "Yeah. . . we've got each other."

Before his sudden resolve faded, Jay reached for his phone. He opened Nya's messages, surprised to see that they hadn't texted one another in a week.

 _Hey. . . We need to talk._

As usual, Nya's response was almost instantaneous.

 _Yeah, I know._

Jay frowned the words. Sharp and short. They made his heart ache.

She sounded upset. Maybe she knew. Maybe she'd known, for a while now, and he'd been too distracted with Cole to even notice at all.

Jay shut his eyes. When had he become such a terrible friend?

* * *

The rest of the day passed by without anything terribly remarkable.

Or so Cole thought. But he couldn't really be sure. His mind was elsewhere, and the world around him had taken a dull color, fading into the background against what lay ahead

He played with the future conversation in his mind. Trying to come up with proper arguments. Struggling to explain feelings he'd shoved aside for years. No matter what Cole came up with, however, he couldn't make up his father's response. The man was terribly unpredictable.

Jay had taken the bus. So he could speak to Nya about. . . whatever it was he needed to speak to her about. Thus, the ride home felt surprisingly lonely, without his boyfriend's persistent chattering beside him.

Cole refrained from thinking too much as he got out of his truck, focused only on the movements of his body. Step by step, he walked inside. He was instantly greeted by his father.

"Amazing! You're on time! For once." The man shook his head. "This is good. I wanted to drive you over to meet some of the people you'll share classes with during the camp. You can share interests. Bond! It'd probably be better for you to start making new friends. The Marty Oppenheimer is very, very demanding! You won't have time to keep up with anyone who isn't part of the program."

"Dad," Cole said, but his voice was too soft, too shaky. His dad's monologue continued.

"It's the sad truth. I had to say goodbye to all my high school friends. But oh, it'll be so worth it, Cole! You have _so_ much potential. I know it. I can see it. You're going to blow everyone's minds away."

" _Dad_." Cole let his backpack drop to further the effect of his voice. His dad blinked, then looked at Cole with interest, as if seeing him for the first time in a long while.

". . . Yes?"

"I don't- . . ." Cole's legs felt weak underneath him. He took a slow breath. _Whatever happens, Jay will be there._ "I don't want to go to the Marty Oppenheimer. I don't even know if I want to go to school at all! I've never enjoyed doing all this. Ever. This is _your_ world dad, not mine."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm miserable, dad!" Cole hadn't expected his voice to shake as much as it did. "I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I'm sorry. I really am. I know you've done a lot for me to have this chance but. . . I don't want it."

A tense silence followed. Cole hardly dared to breathe. His father's face was usually filled with dramatic expressions, but the blank look in his eyes was ten times worse than the anger he'd expected to see.

His dad looked down. When he looked back up, there was still no anger. But it wasn't a blank look either.

Disappointment.

Cole looked away.

"I don't know what has gotten into you." His dad shook his head. "This whole year, it's been just one thing after the other. I do _not_ want to hear another word about this, Cole. You are not going to throw away everything I've worked for! You _will_ go to the camp. Maybe then, you'll see the opportunities you're trying to waste.

"Now go get ready. We're leaving soon"

Cole opened his mouth to try and protest, but his dad moved away before he could do so. So he stood still, feeling no better than before.

His words hadn't mattered.

Then again, had they ever?

All his life, he'd been flung from situation to situation, living through the consequences of someone else's actions. It had been sort of dumb to think he could take charge of anything.

With a sigh, Cole moved to get ready.

* * *

"My parents won't be home till late." Nya tossed her backpack onto the couch. Jay copied her movements. "So. . . we've got all afternoon."

Nya's voice was heavy and hesitant. Jay was afraid to speak.

Together, they moved to the kitchen, where Nya rummaged around for something they could eat. After shoving a batch of nuggets into the oven, she turned back around to face Jay. "Look, I know what you're going to say."

"Y-you. . . do?" Jay gulped, looking down, bracing himself for his friend's outrage.

"Yes." Nya sighed. "And I'm sorry, okay?"

"Huh?"

"For being so distant. I know I haven't talked to you in forever, and I'm horrible for it. But I've just been dealing with a lot, you know? With Kai and. . . and everything." Nya leaned back against the counter. "So I'm sorry. I hope you understand."

"Nya, no." Jay shook his head. "That's not what I wanted to say at all! Of course I understand."

Nya frowned. "Really? Then. . . what is it?"

"It's. . . oof." Jay laid his head against the table for a couple of moments, before straightening. "You think _you're_ the one that's been a horrible friend, aha. . . well I've got news for you. I'm worse. And I'm really sorry. Please say you'll forgive me."

"I can't say that unless I know what you did." Nya moved to the table, sitting down across from her friend. She noticed Jay's hands were shaking terribly. Whatever secret he was holding. . . Suddenly, she was afraid to know. "What. . . _did_ you do?"

"I mean I didn't _do_ anything. I. . . well. . . I mean I guess I- Hmm." Jay looked down. "I'm the one who brought the teapot to the school."

Nya was really glad to have been sitting. With a lurch, the world around her flipped, a rough and merciless movement. "What?"

"I found it in the junkyard. I made wishes. And I lost it."

Nya sat very still, trying to absorb Jay's confession.

"I- I wanted to tell you. I really did. But I made a dumb wish on accident and I was afraid. . . I wished for Cole's life to be a little less perfect. I didn't even _mean_ to! It just sort of happened. You know me. Talking too much and all. . . So I was scared Cole would find out somehow, if I told you, and then I'd lose. . . him.

"I don't want to lose him. But I want to lose you even less. I should have told you the truth earlier. I know. I hope. . . I want to help you with Kai. I- I've been reading up on the teapot, I've learned a lot about it and- and I can help you!"

Nya shook her head. "Dammit, Jay."

Jay waited.

"I can't- I can't believe you-" Nya stood, turning away. She placed her hands on her hips, trying to find a good way to breathe. "And you couldn't have told me? Even after what happened with Kai? It's been a _month_ , Jay."

"I know! I know, but we can still get him back Nya, I can help you, that's what I'm saying!" Jay's voice was incredibly frantic, struggling to speak faster than Nya could think. "There's not a problem. We'll get him back. Trust me. Trust me, I can help."

"I just. . . I can't right now. It's too much. Everything is just-" Nya took a breath. Willed her voice to regain its strength. "Can you please just go home? I need to think and I don't- I don't want to talk anymore."

Jay shut his mouth, giving a slow nod. "Yeah. Yeah of course. I'm. . . here, though. If you- If you need it. . . I'll- Yeah I'll let myself out. I'm really sorry, Nya. I know that-"

"Just _go_."

"Right. Going." Jay scurried out of the kitchen with his head low. His eyes were swelled with tears, and every movement took an incredible effort. He barely remembered to take his backpack.

Once outside, Jay sat on the sidewalk. He hardly noticed the cold.

As he contemplated whether or not to go home, his phone rang. The sound of Cole's ringtone almost overflowed the tears he was struggling to hold back. Jay answered, clearing his throat to make himself sound okay.

"Cole! How- How did it go?"

 _Well, it was as if I didn't say anything to him at all. So. . . could have been worse. At least he didn't disown me. Ha. . . what about you though?_

"Well, Nya kicked me out of her house. So that's fun."

 _Harsh_.

"No, no. I deserved it. Trust me."

 _Ever going to tell me what happened?_

"Yes. . . not. . . now though. I'm feeling pretty awful."

 _If it makes you feel any better, I feel awful too._

"Why would that make me feel better!" Jay chuckled, tracing the cracks on the pavement with his finger. "That makes me feel worse, if anything. I hope your dad comes around. Maybe he just needs time."

 _Maybe. Same with Nya. I mean you guys have been friends for years. I'm sure you'll figure things out._

"I hope so. . ."

 _Well, I've got to go. I just wanted to check on you. Call you tonight?_

"Please do."

 _Alrighty._ Cole was silent for a moment. Jay refrained from hanging up, finding comfort even in their silent connection.

"Thank you for. . . calling. Thank you for being here."

 _I'll always be here for you, Walker._ Jay struggled to hold back a sob. _And thank you too!_

"No problem."

More silence. Then Cole hung up, leaving Jay alone in the sidewalk, with the heavy weight of all his unspoken words crushing him harder than ever.


	15. Reality Check

Chapter 15- Reality Check

With Cole gone off to the Marty Oppenheimer, Jay realized just how much he depended on his grey-eyed boyfriend.

He had nothing to do. There was no school to distract him. His best friend was still refusing to talk. Lloyd did his best to interact, but their hang outs were awkward. Jay was quiet and withdrawn, and Lloyd didn't really know what to do about it.

The days ticked forward sluggishly. Time seemed to stand still.

Until one day, Jay's phone rang. Things began to tick forward again.

He rushed to his phone, hoping to see Cole's name. Even though he knew that would be impossible. Cole's dad had taken his phone. Some sort of punishment for speaking up against pursuing music.

Still, Jay was not disappointed with the name he saw. It was Nya.

He answered eagerly, phone slipping from his grasp a couple of times before he was able to hold it properly. "Hey, Hi- Hello."

 _Hey_ Nya's voice sounded tired, and a little bit resigned. Jay bit his lip, readying himself for whatever was coming. _Can I come over?_

"Huh?" Jay frowned. That hadn't been something he'd expected to hear. "Why do- I mean, yeah, of course. Everything alright?"

 _Funny question. I think you know the answer as well as I do._ Nya laughed, but it was a harsh sound. Jay _did_ know the answer. It was a curt and plain, _no_.

"Sorry. Just. . . felt like I should ask. But yeah. Come. I'm really not doing much of anything these days."

 _So Lloyd's told me._ Nya said. _He thinks it's very unsettling to see you being quiet._

"Ah. . . Well I haven't. . . had much cause to babble."

 _I'll be there in a bit. Can Lloyd join us later?_

"Duh." Jay said. "My parents have missed you both. And . . . I've missed hanging out. A lot."

 _Yeah. . . well. See you soon._

"See-" Jay was stopped by the sound of Nya cutting out of the call. He lowered the phone slowly. It was impossible to keep the smile from his face. He hadn't seen Nya in what felt like a lifetime, and his heart soared to think she would be here soon.

Jay went out to the junkyard to wait. He paced around the piles of junk, wondering if there were any other life-changing treasures hidden within.

If there were, Jay hoped to never stumble upon them.

The sound of tires perked him up, and he ran to the Junkyard's entrance. He waved at Nya's father. He waved back, and Jay flinched as he noticed the darkness etched around his eyes. _Your fault._

Nya got out of the car. She approached him slowly, almost hesitantly, which was something very unlike her. Jay stood still, waiting on the proper cue on what to do next. He wanted to hug her, but he wasn't sure if that was okay.

Surprisingly enough, _she_ hugged _him_. The embrace was tight and desperate, mirroring the way Jay had been feeling for the past couple of days. He returned the hug, not at all surprised by the tears prickling his eyes.

They pulled away from each other. Nya gave a soft sigh. "You know, I'm still sort of mad at you for not telling me. But . . . Things have been really difficult lately. And I need my best friend."

"I _promise_ I'll never be that dumb again. And I'll help you get Kai back."

Nya nodded. "You said you knew some stuff about the teapot?"

"Yes!" Jay beamed excitedly, glad to be useful. "I know enough to write my own book about it. Probably. Okay, probably not. But I know enough."

"Let's wait for Lloyd. Then we can make a plan. Until then . . . you've got to let me know how it's been going with Cole."

Jay's smile felt so genuine, it made his heart ache, as he realized just how close he'd come to losing one of the most important people in his life. "You sure? You know, once I start going on about him, you're going to be tired of hearing his name."

Nya took a dramatic breath, as if preparing herself for a hefty trial. "I acknowledge the consequences."

"Well." Jay led her forward, moving through the junk to find the secret little nook they'd formed as kids. "You asked for it."

* * *

When Lloyd arrived, Jay was still nowhere close to finishing up.

"He's been sort of teaching me to dance too." Jay toyed around with a rusted spring as he talked, pushing down on it before letting it snap forward with a dramatic force. "I mean, he's no miracle worker, but I think I've got some of the basics down. Though I _have_ wound up kicking him. Once. Okay, maybe twice. Twice and a half."

"You know, as small as you are, you sure cause a lot of damage." Nya laughed. Her cheeks had begun to ache, due to the constant smiling. She'd forgotten how good it was, to spend time alongside Jay.

Footsteps snapped their attention away from the conversation. Lloyd popped into view with a simple smile. "Hey-o."

"Hey." Both Nya and Jay said in unison. Lloyd sat crossed legged before them.

"So what's up? Are we teaming up to destroy the forces of evil lurking through Ninjago High?"

"Something like that." Nya nodded. "I'm recruiting you both to help stop this. . . Teapot. Genie. Whatever it is."

"A Djinn," Jay said.

"Djinn, then," Nya said. "What is it? How do we stop it? How is it. . . taking people?"

Both Nya and Lloyd turned to Jay expectantly. Jay straightened, feeling an odd sort of pride at being knowledgeable. "Mainly. . . it's some sort of powerful creature, who will grant you three wishes. Except, he'll be doing his best to twist your words, so you technically get what you wished for. . . But definitely not what you wanted.

"His goal is to make you wish everything away. And when you do _that_ he can trap your soul. The more souls he has, the more powerful he gets. At this point, he's probably powerful enough to move from place to place, which would explain how he's been getting around the school.

"The trick with stopping him, is the teapot. Regardless of anything, _he's still tied to the teapot_. We find the teapot, we keep him still long enough to suck him back into it. Then we make sure no one ever releases him again."

"Okay." Nya nodded, following Jay's words perfectly. "But how do we get Kai back?"

"Wishes. We do all this through wishes." Jay said the words with his eyes lowered, fingers drawing random circles in the sand. "If we wish correctly, we can keep him still. We can shut him down. We can wish for the souls to be released."

"But if we wish incorrectly. . ." Lloyd said, letting the words hang in the air around them. The three of them sat in silence, each with their own image of the worst possible outcome.

Yet, the worst possible outcome was still better than letting the Djinn roam freely.

"We'll come up with a plan," Nya said, trying her best to remain determined and optimistic. "But first, we need to find that teapot."

* * *

 _We need to find that teapot._

Exactly a week later, Nya's words still lingered in Lloyd's head. He couldn't shoo them away. Despite how much time he spent trying to think of other things, the words always found their way back in.

They'd met up every day, after their first small meeting. Discussing different wishes, and going through all possible scenarios. It was sort of tedious, and yet sort of fun. Lloyd felt really fulfilled, at being part of _something_.

He'd never really been part of anything important before. Not really. He was only Lloyd Garmadon. An average kid, with an average family. There was nothing special about him.

 _We need to find that teapot._

Except now there _was_ something special. And it sat before him, rusted and malicious.

The teapot.

He'd found it just before Nya had decided to make up with Jay. In that first meeting, Lloyd had planned to reveal this. If he'd had, maybe things would have gone back to normal by now.

But he sort of wanted a wish.

And at the same time, he sort of didn't.

Lloyd wanted to make the right choice. But he also wanted to be a little selfish. For _once_. He had always done what other people expected of him. Had always put other's needs before his own. Lloyd didn't really mind doing so, either, but with the possibilities before him . . .

He reached for the teapot. Then he drew back his hand.

Cole was coming back today. Jay had planned a little get together. And after that, another Save-Ninjago-From-Impending-Doom meeting.

 _We need to find that teapot_.

He would give it to Nya then.

"One wish," Lloyd said to himself. "One."

Before his conscience could force him to change his mind, Lloyd twisted the teapot, following the instructions he'd learned from Jay. The puff of smoke he'd described filled his room. Lloyd would have waved it away, had his arms not been incredibly shaky.

The smoke faded on its own. And once it had gone, the Djinn stood before him, every bit as intimidating as Lloyd had imagined. The Djinn looked down at Lloyd expectantly.

"I-. . ." Lloyd's throat felt tight, and he wondered if he could really do this. He knew things would turn around on him. Knew this was stupid. And yet, he felt a desperate need to break away from his cautious persona.

He shut his eyes, thinking desperately, pushing away the thought of everything that could go wrong. What did he want? He thought of school. The long, lonely hours. The awkward pressure form having both his parents work within the building. And of course, the sweet, sweet freedom that both his friends would soon taste. "I wish I was out of school!"

Once the words were out, there was no going back. The rush of adrenaline fueled Lloyd to go on. His heart was beating at a quick pace, making every bit of him tremble.

What else? What else? Lloyd thought about his quiet personality. How most of the time he gathered the guts to speak, his words were somehow always the wrong thing to say. How they were ignored, or politely pushed aside with a patient smile. "I wish I _always_ said the right thing."

The Djinn looked as if he was about to speak, but Lloyd didn't let him. One more. Just one more wish. "I wish-"

"Lloyd?"

Lloyd yelped at the sound of his mother's voice, quickly twisting the teapot and trapping the Djinn back inside. Lloyd wondered if the creature had had enough time to work his magic. As the adrenaline faded, he really hoped the wishes hadn't worked.

"Yes?"

"You ready to go?"

Lloyd threw the teapot and his tattered wallet into a small green backpack. He looked around his room, trying to think if there was anything else he needed.

"Just a second, mom!" Lloyd said. Or tried to, in any case. His lips, however, shaped different words.

"Yes, I'll be right there!"

Lloyd froze on the spot. He frowned. It was unsettling, hearing himself say something he hadn't planned to say at all.

With a shaky breath, Lloyd accepted his fate. The wishes had worked.

* * *

"Cole!"

Jay hopped up from the picnic table he'd been sitting on, rushing to hug Cole's figure. Cole accepted the embrace with a chuckle. He returned it, lifting Jay off his feet. "Missed me _that_ much, huh?"

"Well. . . duh." Jay blushed, struggling to bring his feelings back under control. But how could he? Cole was _back_.

"I missed you too. Everyone at the Marty Oppenheimer was extremely boring." Cole stole a long kiss from Jay's lips. Jay smiled with giddiness before returning it. He enjoyed the ease of Cole's movements. Somehow, kissing his crush had become a commonplace thing.

"Of course they were. Trust me, after meeting _me_ , everyone is going to seem boring." With Cole's hand in his own, Jay led them back to the table. The park was mostly empty, with only the far-away sound of shrieking children and squeaking birds to fill the silence. "Nya and Lloyd are on their way. Zane's doing something with his dad today, so I couldn't get him to come. But he wanted to know if you two could meet up tomorrow."

"Definitely." Cole nodded. "Dad still hasn't given me my phone back so. . . can I borrow yours? To give Zane a quick call?"

Jay nodded, handing over his cell phone. Cole paced around as he talked.

Jay's eyes watched him greedily. His black hair was longer now, most definitely in need of a haircut. Or not. He was handsome either way. Jay tried to pinpoint which of Cole's features he liked the most. It was a futile effort. He liked _everything_.

His smile, which had slowly grown from rehearsed to shy and kind.

His eyes, whose color shifted in the light, making them impossible to look away from.

His hair. Jay knew very well how soft it was to the touch.

Jay jolted, when he came the realization that Cole had been studying him with the same intensity. He gave a sheepish smile, hoping he didn't look as dumb as he felt. Cole handed him back his phone. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jay cleared his throat, trying to ignore the warm blush spreading through him. "So. . ."

"So you and Nya made up, huh?"

"Oh! Yeah! Right! You didn't know." Jay nodded eagerly. "Yes. We talked and. . . I think we're good."

"Going to tell me what that's about, yet?"

"Um. . ."

"Don't worry about it." Cole shook his head. "Anything about Kai?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Nya arrived not too long after. Lloyd was the last to find them.

They had each brought something to share, and they spread out the tasty treasures upon the table. While they ate, Cole told them everything worth telling about the Winter Camp, which mainly consisted of jokes about the teacher's stiff personalities.

Once he'd run out of stories, a heavy silence drifted over them. Nya was suddenly very much aware of her brother's absence. "I hope we can find Kai soon."

Cole nodded slowly. He'd been thinking the same thing.

Jay's hands begun to fidget. Nya had promised not to bring anything up about the teapot in front of Cole. Still. He felt nervous. Jay tried to give her a _please change the subject_ look, but her eyes were lowered.

The blow that would destroy his world, however, came from a completely unexpected direction.

Lloyd slammed the teapot against the table. "We will. We have all we need."

Jay looked up at Lloyd with frightened eyes, and was surprised to see that Lloyd looked just as scared. Cole stood, his eyes wide. "Holy. . . It's real."

"Very much so." Lloyd's confident tone didn't match his frightened features. Regardless, Jay had the urge to kick him off the table, and drag him and the teapot as far away as possible.

Cole reached for the teapot. Before he could lift it, Lloyd tightened his grip.

"Does it. . . work? It looks. . . broken." Cole was unaware of the tension hovering around him. With innocent curiosity, he reached to twist the image of the skull into place. Jay finally snapped into action, taking Cole's hand in his own.

" _Don't_." Jay hissed as he did so. But it was all too late.

 _Twist! Poof!_

The smoke covered them. Lloyd let go of the object, and Cole stumbled back, startled. Only Jay and Nya stayed still. One frozen in fear, the other in fury.

As the Djinn formed, his eyes glued onto Jay's in an instant. Jay quivered before the creature's gaze. "Ah. I assume you're back for your third wish?"

Jay shook his head. Cole frowned. "Third?"

"Congratulations, Jay." The Djinn looked at Cole, eyes drifting down to the teen's hand. Which Jay was still holding. In a panic, Jay let go. "It seems the wish _did_ get you what you wanted. Hmm?"

"What you. . .wanted?" Cole turned away from the Djinn, locking eyes with Jay. "Did you _wish_ for me to like you?"

"No!" Jay shook his head.

"Then what _did_ you wish for?" Cole's voice was soft. Hurt. Confused.

"I-. . ." Jay shook his head again.

"He wanted to have you _so_ badly, he was truly willing to do anything." The Djinn's eyes glinted with malice. "Cause an accident, to have you notice him"

Jay looked down. Cole's feelings began to bubble up into anger.

"Knock your life down a notch, so that his unpleasant personality might seem a bit more tolerable to you."

"That wasn't it at all." Jay's voice shook.

"The. . . bad luck." His eyes shifted away from Jay, back to the Djinn. "That was _him_?"

The Djinn smiled. Nodded.

"I thought. . ." Cole ran his hands through his hair. "I really thought you'd. . . you'd magically shown up when I needed you the most. I thought you. . . You were the one thing worth all the bad stuff. And you-

"You were the source of it? All along?"

Cole felt as if the world were spinning. _Always suffering through the consequences of someone else's actions_. The one person he'd trusted, the one person who'd shown him how to be himself. . . had manipulated his life too.

"Cole, I didn't mean it, I didn't want to wish-"

"Sure. Sure. Yeah." Cole laughed. He took a step back. "Wow. I hope you enjoyed watching my life fall apart. Bet it made you feel real good, to be there to comfort me. Bet you were happy your little scheme worked."

"That's not fair. You aren't listening." Jay stood, trying to keep the tears from flowing. "I did _not_ want to ruin your life."

"I was fine. Everything was fine. But then you show up and-. . . poof! One by one, day by day, everything chipping away at me. I should have noticed. I should have known. It was all too good" The frustration that had been building up inside Cole's mind snapped. The anger shook everything inside him. Every word of comfort Jay had uttered suddenly became a dagger, stabbed against his back.

"I told you how everything was dragging me down. And you- you sat there and smiled, and acted kind, all the while _knowing_ it was your fault! I can't-

"I can't believe _you_ would. . . I trusted you, Jay."

Cole was finding it very hard to breathe. Jay felt the same. They stared at one another, as the seconds ticked.

The band breaking up.

The winter camp.

The tightened schedule.

Grades.

Sickness.

Every other small thing in between.

"You- You're the worst thing that ever happened to me, aren't you?"


	16. Cause, Effect, And Voids In Between

Chapter 17- Cause, Effect, And Voids In Between

"That's-" Jay shrunk into himself. "You can't- You don't mean that.

"I would never do anything to hurt you. Not- Not deliberately. I wanted to tell you, Cole, I really did." Jay struggled to straighten himself, struggled to get Cole to understand. But the sharp anger in those grey eyes only made him want to crumble. "I know holding on to the secret was wrong. I know. But I did my best to try and make your life better. I. . . I _love_ you, Cole. Just let me-"

"Shut up, okay? Just shut up." Cole ran his hand through his hair. "I'm done with this, and I'm done with you. I'm _done_."

"Just listen, _please_." Jay reached out for Cole's hand. Cole moved away.

"Stay away from me, okay?" Cole could see the tears shining very clearly in Jay's eyes. But he didn't care. "Go wish for someone else."

Cole turned roughly and stomped away.

He could hear Jay shouting his name behind him. But he did not turn. Cole was nearly panting with the rush of feelings. He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. He wanted to ask the world why it had decided to pick on _him_ of all people.

All Cole had ever done was try to be kind. Understanding. _Good_.

But why did he bother to try? Every one of his good actions had been twisted and used against him, in one way or the other. No point in trying. No point in putting any sort of effort. No point.

Cole drove fast. He knew it was a bad idea to drive while he was still agitated, but he needed to get away. Needed to get home, lock himself in his room, and never come out again. To hell with everything else. He was done. Done with everyone, and all the secret plans they held for him. _Done._

The truck skidded to a stop, almost smashing straight through the closed garage door of his house. Cole hopped out. His shirt caught on the door as he shut it. With an irritated growl, Cole tugged, ripping the fabric. He laughed humorlessly. "Thanks, Jay."

"Cole?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Cole turned, leaving a bit of his shirt still clinging to the truck. "What?"

His father was taken aback by the rough response. "I- uh- I didn't expect you back so soon. I thought you were going to hang out with your. . . friends."

"No. I'm home now. It doesn't matter." Cole marched to the front door. Or meant to, in any case. His father placed a hand upon his shoulder. Cole toyed with the idea of moving away and continuing on inside. In the end, he turned to face his father. "Yes?"

"We need to talk, Cole."

"Of course we do!" Cole hissed out a breath and shook his head. "What is it now? Going to ship me off to school early? Oh! I know? You're locking me in my room until I write a new, mind-blowing symphony that will grant me ever scholarship ever? What's it going to be this time?"

His father frowned. "Well, I don't see why we need to yell at each other. I wanted to apologize to you. About the way I've. . . handled your future. I was hoping we could talk. I promise I. . . will listen to you. As I should have."

"O-oh."

The anger left Cole in an instant, leaving him feeling very small and very hurt. He hesitated, trying to make sense of his father's words. After Cole gave a nod, they both headed inside.

"I'll make us some tea. How does that sound?"

Again, Cole only nodded. He didn't trust his tightened vocal cords to produce proper sounds.

His father walked off to the kitchen, and Cole crumpled onto the couch. He didn't know what aspect of his life to focus on. His brain struggled to look at them all at once, leaving Cole feeling very, very queasy.

Cole stared forward as he waited. He didn't really have the strength to do much else. Once his father returned, he accepted the cup eagerly. Cole held the drink close to his chest, the warmth of it giving him a sudden urge to cry.

He ignored the feelings. Shoved them far, far away.

* * *

Jay kept muttering Cole's name, long after he had gone.

Lloyd felt guilty. Really, really guilty. But he also had been sparked with a sudden, wild idea.

Every timed he opened his mouth, he was bound to say the right thing. Which meant, he could find the perfect wording for the perfect wish. One that would put things back in order. Right?

It was a good theory, at least.

Lloyd looked at the Djinn. He seemed to be overjoyed at Jay's crushed spirit. Maybe even readying himself to coax a wish out of Jay's trembling lips. _Not on my watch_.

Lloyd opened his mouth. The Djinn's face quickly turned toward him. In his eyes, a flicker of worry. Then, it was gone.

The worry. And the Djinn.

"Whoa," Nya gave a soft gasp. The teapot had gone too. "No!"

Jay turned back toward them. He wiped at his reddened eyes. "Wh-whoa. Where'd he go?"

"Somewhere safe," Lloyd responded, without trying. "He won't want us to find him."

"We should have been holding on to the teapot." Nya cursed. Shook her head. "If he's strong enough to move on his own _and_ he knows we want to stop him, Lloyd's right, we won't be able to find him anywhere."

"Lloyd." Jay turned to him. Lloyd had the urge to run. "Why did you do that?"

"It was the right thing."

"I-I know but it- I wasn't-" Jay shook his head. Nya's frustration faded momentarily, and she moved closer to her friend.

"Cole was really harsh. I'm sorry." She pulled Jay into a tight hug. "Lloyd's right though. And it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I'd rather it had been later," Jay whined, then pulled away. "It's fine. It doesn't matter. What matters is we need to find the teapot again. Somehow. Get Kai back."

"Where'd you find the teapot?" Nya asked.

Lloyd wanted to sigh. _That doesn't matter. What matters is I wished to always say the right thing._ "By school. He seems to be attracted to that place."

"Easy prey." Nya chuckled. "Okay. The school. We need to ask people to keep an eye out. Someone's bound to help, right?"

Jay shrugged. Then focused back on Lloyd. "Did you wish?"

 _Yes!_ "Yes."

"What did you wish for?"

"To be out of school." Lloyd frowned. Right. He'd wished that too. He was _not_ looking forward to the way that would unwind. "And to say the right thing."

Jay's eyes flooded with understanding. Nya's sharpened with an idea.

"Lloyd you little punk," Nya smirked. "You're going to be Ninjago's hero."

* * *

First day back to school. Cole didn't know how he felt about it.

It was a welcome distraction, at least. And he was looking forward to seeing Zane.

What he was no looking forward to, of course, was seeing Jay.

Thanks to his years of practice, he'd managed to _not_ think about him for the rest of the break. If Cole saw him. . . He didn't know what would happen then. He was still angry at Jay. He was still hurt.

But he also missed him. A lot.

Luckily enough, Jay could be pretty invisible when he wanted to be. Which would explain why it had taken Cole so long to notice him in the first place.

In the classes they shared, Jay kept his head down, hands shoved deep inside his pockets. His hair looked more frazzled than usual, as if he hadn't attempt it to make it presentable at all. And of course, he was filled with his usual fidgeting.

Not that Cole was looking.

In the halls, Cole got zero glimpses of him. And he was nowhere to be found in the cafeteria. Which was just as well.

"Cole?"

"Hmm?" Cole turned away for the Jay-less space, and back toward Zane. His friend was studying him with a knowing look. "What's up?"

"You have not touched your lunch."

"Oh. That. Yeah." Cole looked at it. For once, he found it utterly unappetizing. "Not very hungry."

"I see." Zane leaned forward. "What happened to Jay?"

Cole leaned back. "Personal space, Zane."

"Oh. Sorry." Zane nodded, and backed away. "And the answer to my question?"

"We broke up." Cole shrugged. "No biggie. People do that."

"Well that much was obvious." Zane rolled his eyes. "I meant. . . how? Why?"

"It's a long story. And we have a short lunch."

"Well buy me coffee after school. I would like to hear it."

After school. Cole was inclined to automatically say that no, he was busy then. But he wasn't. His father had allowed him to get out of which ever classes he did not want to be a part of. So now he had sweet, sweet freedom.

Well. Without Jay, the freedom felt more bitter than anything. But Cole wasn't about to allow that thought inside his head.

"After school sounds good."

* * *

" _Careless whisper_?" Nya scowled, before bursting into a wild fit of laughter.

Jay snatched the stolen earphone back from her friend. "First of all, rude. Second of all, it's a classic, and it's relevant."

" _Jay_." Nya couldn't stop laughing. Even once Lloyd climbed onto the bus, she couldn't calm enough to explain the situation. "Okay. Okay. I'm good. Wow, Jay. You really are lucky I decided to be your friend. You're such a dork."

"Thanks." Jay tried to pout, but Nya's smile had always been contagious. Even as his world crashed and burned, it managed to comfort him. "Any news on the teapot?"

"None on my end." Lloyd shook his head.

"Nothing here either." Nya sighed. "But at least we have a plan."

Jay wanted to contradict her. It wasn't much of a plan.

Wish for the Djinn to stay in one place.

Somehow.

Then throw Lloyd at him, hoping that whatever came out of the kid's mouth would save them all.

So much could go wrong. So much _would_ go wrong.

But to be honest, Jay didn't have the energy to argue.

He'd thought he would be ready to see Cole. That the soul-crushing pain would have weakened enough to be shrugged off. But Jay had been wrong. So very, very wrong.

Although he'd done his best to stay away from Cole's presence, they still had _three_ classes together. And they had all been unbearable. He could hear Cole's words so clearly still, as if the moment had never ended.

 _You really are the worst thing that happened to me._

Cole, Kind Cole, Caring Cole, couldn't possibly have meant that. And yet he obviously had.

Jay turned away from Nya, as everything began to overwhelm him again. Just how bad was he, if he'd managed to make the best person he'd ever met despise him?

"No meeting today, right?" Jay said, surprised at how steady his words sounded.

"Well we don't have anything on the teapot. So I don't see what the point would be." Nya admitted. "But we could still do it. I don't mind hanging out."

"Nah." Jay shook his head. "Mom wanted some help with her new project. I'd better go straight home."

Lies. More lies. Always lies, with him. But Jay really wanted to be alone.

Was it a bad idea? Probably. Most of all considering he felt much better when he was around Nya's easy smile and Lloyd's determined optimism. But Jay didn't think he deserved to feel better.

He'd made Cole miserable. He deserved to feel the same.

"You sure?" Nya sounded skeptical. Worried. But she also sounded far away. "How about me and Lloyd go help, then?"

"No, that's okay." Jay turned to smile at his friends. "Thanks, though."

* * *

Cole told Zane. Everything.

The lies. The wish. The Djinn.

It made Cole's anger bubble up again. For a moment. But by the time he was done with it all, Cole only felt exhausted.

Zane listened with patience. He did not interrupt at all, although there were a couple of moments in which he looked eager to ask questions. When Cole was done, Zane leaned back against his seat, thinking.

"Well." Zane spoke slowly, shaping his words methodically. "I do not think Jay meant to hurt you."

"Well, no." Cole admitted. "But that isn't the point."

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"The point is he _did_ hurt me. And he _lied_ about it."

"Seems to me he had a good reason to lie about it." Zane shrugged. "Seeing as to how you reacted to it. He was probably very afraid of losing you."

Cole opened his mouth. Then shut it. He had no good response to that.

"I do not think you were very fair. I agree, that lying was the wrong way to go about it. But I believe Jay has, overall, shaped your life for the better. I can see you act differently. And you spoke to your father about music. Something me and Kai tried to get you to do for years."

Cole shifted in his seat. He knew Zane was right. He knew he'd overreacted.

Memories of Jay flashed through Cole's mind, and he covered his face in his hands, fingers digging into his hair.

Shifty, nervous Jay, standing by his locker. A sticker with the words _motor-mouth_ on his shoulder. Cole chuckled. Motor-mouth indeed.

The concert. Blue on grey. The bizarre, flash of attraction Cole had felt for those wide, hopeful eyes.

Their first drive together. Jay's stubborn, self-deprecating tone.

Sitting with him at lunch. The adorable flustered look in his eyes. Cole couldn't help but smile.

The mall. The arcade. The desert.

His hands. His smile. His _eyes_.

His laugh.

 _I thought you were impossibly amazing._ Jay's shaky voice echoed in Cole's mind. _I just really like you. Like a lot._

Then, his own voice. _I'll always be here for you, Walker_.

Cole groaned. Well. He was technically a liar too, wasn't he?

The memories sped forward. To the teapot. To his shouting. To Jay's trembling expression. Seeing it all without the filter of rage made his chest hurt.

 _You're the worst thing that ever happened to me, aren't you?_

No. No. A thousand times no.

 _I_ love _you, Cole._

Cole shut his eyes tightly.

"I want him back." He reopened his eyes, surprised at the sudden honesty. Zane smiled at him, and Cole straightened. "I really, really do."

"Well," Zane said. "What is stopping you?"


	17. Heat Of The Moment

Chapter 18- Heat Of The Moment

"You're sure you don't want to tag along?"

Jay smiled at his dad, giving his head a subtle shake. "You guys have fun!"

His mother frowned at him, seeing very clearly the jumbled emotions Jay was trying to hide. "We'll be home soon okay, sweetie? There's some food for you in the fridge."

"Don't worry mom." Jay kept smiling, waiting impatiently for them to leave. He watched them exchange words he couldn't hear, then finally, his dad's shaky vehicle rumbled to life. "See ya!"

His mom waved, and Jay waved back. The moment they were out of sight, he dropped the smile. He lowered his arm, watching the clouds of dust as they drove into the city. Then he turned, stepping into the small trailer.

Jay stopped at the kitchen first. Ignoring the protest of his conscience, he tossed the food his mom had made for him into the trash. He had no intention of eating. And he had zero desire to answer concerned questions.

He stared at the empty container. To wash, or not to wash? What was more in character with his happy-go-lucky self?

In the end, he opted for washing it. Giving his hands something to do was nice, even though the activity couldn't have lasted more than a minute. Jay dried his hands against his jeans. Then he moved to his room.

Even though Jay was alone, he shut the door, enjoying the coziness of the cramped space. He crumpled onto the bed.

Cole had looked . . . well, normal. In the few glances Jay had stolen his way, he had looked as good as ever.

Of course he had. Cole was _Cole_. Strong. Adaptable. Why would ridding himself of Jay phase him?

Jay scrolled through their past messages. He knew it was a terrible idea. Knew it would only serve to make him feel worse. He also knew making good decisions had never been his strong suit. So to hell with it.

Jay briefly wondered what would happen if he texted Cole.

"Nothing." He told himself, with a resigned laugh. "He'd ignore you, that's what."

Jay shut his eyes. He imagined himself being brave enough to text.

 _Hey, Cole. I miss you. I'm sorry._

The Cole inside his head replied within seconds. _I miss you too. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean any of it._

 _I'm sorry for lying_ _to you._

 _How about we start over?_ Jay's daydream began to blend into a real dream, exhausted mind granting him the blessing of sleep. _No hard feelings._

 _Sounds good, Cole._ Jay turned over, curling into himself, phone slipping from his hand. _I love you._

* * *

Cole hit the ground running.

He didn't bother with closing the door of his truck. He'd be back. Fumbling to get his door unlocked was an annoyance, but soon enough, he was running again. There was an idea in his mind. A dumb, extravagant idea.

But he'd gone overboard, yelling at Jay words he would never _ever_ mean. So it was only fair to apologize with the same pizzazz.

"Cole?"

Cole skidded to a stop as he reached his room, throwing things around as he searched for his small speaker. He shoved it in his pocket, then began to fumble with his phone instead. "Yeah?"

"What's going on?" His dad came into view. Cole's eyes shifted over his phone, moving through a series, committing them to memory. "What are you up to?"

Cole turned his phone toward his dad briefly, as if that served as enough explanation. Then, he realized it was not. "Just need to do something. Real quick. I'll be back for dinner. Hopefully with Jay."

"Jay? I thought you-"

" _Definitely_ with Jay. Could you make something good? And try not to be scary strict? I'm pretty sure you traumatized him the first time he came around." Cole turned back to his phone, still reading as he walked.

"Er- Um, okay?" His father questioned, still very confused.

Cole gave him a wave that offered no further explanation. He trotted back to his truck, humming softly. Once on the road, Cole began to sing instead.

He hoped Jay was home. Cole could already picture his reaction. Confused and frazzled. Then, his lips would tightened, as he struggled not to laugh at Cole's ridiculous antics. Cole smiled.

 _Bamm!_

The truck jolted, as one of the front tires drove straight over a boulder. Cole struggled to regain control of the truck, coming to a forceful stop by the side of the road. He got out, inspecting the very real damage.

The tire was beyond salvageable.

Rocky wasn't going anywhere.

"Bad luck, huh?" Cole chuckled. "Takes more than that to stop a Brookstone, you know."

With a determined huff, he began to run.

* * *

Jay awakened with a jolt.

He wiped some unwelcome drool from his mouth, turning over to lay on his back. Outside, the world had gone dark, with only the flickering bulbs of the junkyard to light the darkness. How late was it?

"Mom?" He shouted out. No answer. "Dad?"

Nothing. Couldn't be _too_ late, then. If they weren't home yet.

He stretched, wondering what, exactly, he could do next. Sleeping again was the most welcoming option, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to manage it. Sitting in the dark doing nothing in particular was good too, Jay supposed.

A sudden, very loud, and very familiar tune reached his ears. Startled, Jay's body gave a small jump, causing him to fall off the bed with a _thud!_ He scrambled for his phone, wondering if his music had begun to play unprompted.

Then the singing started. Voice just as familiar as the music. Cole.

 _I never meant to be, so bad to you_.

Jay shook his head. Wondering if he was dreaming still. Had to be.

 _One thing I said that I would never do_

Standing on shaky legs, he stumbled out of his room. Cole continued to sing, voice growing louder as Jay moved closer. He stopped by the door, frozen with indecision. He wanted to rip it open, but at the same time, he didn't.

 _Do you remember when we use to dance?_

What if it was somehow all in his head?

 _And incidents arose from circumstance._

Jay shut his eyes. He leaned his forehead against the cold metal door. And just listened. Even if it _was_ all in his head (Some sort of terrible breakdown, surely) at least it was real _now_. Jay wanted to pretend for just a little longer, that Cole had driven all the way here, to apologize, to make up, to-

Without thinking, Jay forced himself to fling the door open.

And Cole was there, real as ever, with a casual smile and a spark in his eyes.

 _It was the heat of the moment._

Jay had to struggle to hold back a fit of laughter. Cole stood, holding a small speaker above his head, as if it were a boombox. So, so silly. And so, so _Cole_.

 _Showing me what your heart meant_

Jay shook his head.

 _The heat of the moment_

 _Show in your eyes_

Cole lowered the speaker. The song's wordless tune continued to play. Jay stood awkwardly, not quite knowing the proper way to react. "I can't believe you remembered I liked that song."

"I remember a lot of things about you, Walker." Cole responded, still smiling. Jay could barely keep himself from jumping into his arms.

"Dork." He replied, with a smile.

"Shorty." Cole countered.

"Mophead."

"Freckles."

"Not sure that counts as an insult." Jay shrugged. "Some say my freckles are extremely attractive."

"Yeah, you keep on believing that."

They held each other's gaze. Jay was the first to look away. "I really am sorry, Cole. For not being honest. We trusted each other and I shouldn't have- shouldn't have betrayed that trust."

" _I'm_ sorry for being as awful as I was. I didn't mean any of the things I said. At all."

Jay could hold himself back no longer. He shot forward, pulling Cole into a tight embrace. He never, ever, ever wanted to let go. Cole returned the hug, his strong arms a tad suffocating. But Jay didn't care.

They both pulled away form each other, rather reluctantly. Their hands stayed together, fingers perfectly entwined.

"Oh yeah. There _was_ something else I needed to tell you." Cole said.

"Oh?" Jay frowned, wondering if there was a catch to all this. Because of course there was. Things didn't just-

Cole kissed him. The mesh of worries and insecurities in Jay's mind shuddered and died. He leaned into the kiss and returned it, eyes slowly moving to a close.

However long the kiss lasted, it had definitely not been long enough. Cole's eyes were locked onto Jay's own as he moved back. Jay had never, ever felt as important as he did now, within the spotlight of Cole's attention.

"Love you too, Jay."

Somehow, hearing his own name, not Walker, not a nickname, but his _name_ made Jay fall in love with Cole all over again. He smiled, hardly able to contain the wild emotions beating through him.

As the moment faded, Jay noticed something else. "Dude. You're really sweaty."

"I am. And I smell bad." Cole smirked, stealing another quick kiss.

"Gross!" Jay laughed, pushing him back. "Did you _walk_ here?"

"Ran. Halfway. I drove over a boulder or something and _pop!_ Bye tire." Cole shrugged. "Nothing that can't be fixed. It'll be a pain in the butt to pay for it though but-"

"Pay for it? No, no." Jay shook his head. "Why would you pay for it when you have me?"

"You?"

"Me." Jay turned toward the piles of junk, eyes quickly scanning for anything useful. "Don't you know, I can fix anything?"

* * *

By the time Jay had gathered all he needed, his parents arrived.

Cole had tried to help, but funnily enough, the boy who was perfect at everything was incredibly terrible at simple mechanics. Despite Jay's explanations, he never quite managed to find the right things.

In the end, Cole had accepted defeat, and opted for sitting back and watching Jay gather things instead. He was the first to spot the headlights heading toward them. Unnecessarily large, and unnecessarily bright.

"Your parents are here!" Cole shouted.

"Okay!" Jay shouted back, finally managing to dislodge the perfect tire from the mountain of junk. "Perfect timing too. They can take us to your truck."

"Cole!" Edna shouted as they climbed out of the car. "Oh, it's very nice to see you. What are you two up to?"

Jay nodded toward his box of tools and the lone tire. "Cole needs some help fixing up his truck. Would you guys mind giving us a lift?"

Jay's parents did not mind. The drive to Cole's truck was surprisingly short, most of all compared to hold long it had felt, when Cole had been on foot. They dropped them off, leaving only after showering Cole with come-and-visit's.

Jay set to work.

Cole watched him with deep admiration. He could hardly understand any of the movements Jay made, but he made them with a practiced confidence that was terribly admirable. And, somehow, extremely attractive.

Some odd minutes later, Jay stood, his now dirty hands resting against his hips. "Should be good to go. I'll try to find a newer tire for you, but this one will probably hold for a while."

"You're my hero." Cole smiled. "That was awesome. Thank you."

Jay gave a sly bow. "Told you, I can fix anything. Call on me anytime."

"You definitely can." Cole said. "You helped fix my relationship with my dad."

"Huh?"

"He isn't making me go anywhere any more. He made me promise to really work on finding something that's meaningful to me but. . . he won't push it."

"Dude!" Jay smiled. "High five!"

"With _those_ hands?" Cole gave a dramatic grimace. "No thanks."

"Whatever, Sweaty McGee." Jay said, before smearing both grease-covered hands upon Cole's arms. "You owed me one."

"Fair enough." Cole pouted. "And I'm going to owe you another one."

"Meaning?"

"Told my dad you were coming over for dinner. So. . . you're coming over for dinner." Cole opened the passenger door. Jay looked from the open door to Cole. "Head on in, Walker."

"You're serious? You want _me_ to have dinner with you and your _dad_?"

"You can clean up at my place."

"That's not my concern. My concern is uh- he's sort of terrifying. He's going to hate me."

"He _won't_. Besides, I've had dinner at _your_ place."

Jay had no counter to that. But he still didn't really want to go, either. "Um."

Before Cole could continue, Jay's phone rang. Loud against the quiet night. He slipped it from his pocket, thankful for the intrusion. Maybe for once, the universe was on his side.

"Nya." Jay smiled. "Hey. You won't believe what-"

 _The Djinn's at the school. You need to meet me here ASAP._

"Ah." Jay frowned. "Yes. Yeah. Okay. We'll be there."

 _We?_ Jay could imagine Nya shaking her head, forcing herself to focus. _Never mind. Just get here soon. We're taking him down._

"Aye, aye." Jay nodded, then hung up. He looked to Cole. "While dinner sounds amazing, I've still got one last thing I need to fix."

"Oh?"

"The Djinn." Jay took a slow breath. "At the school. You in?"

"You mean am I in to stop the thing that took my best friend? Heck yeah, I'm in."

* * *

 **Song is Heat Of The Moment by Asia!**

* * *

 **Things are drawing to a close! So I'm really sorry to say I'll be taking a break next week, due to the Dreaded Finals. Thank you for reading, as always!**


	18. Awkwardly Heroic

Chapter 18- Awkwardly Heroic

Cole drove fast. Uncomfortably fast.

Yet, the drive to the school still took terribly long. Every stoplight seemed to instantly flicker red as soon as Cole approached it. Not to mention late night traffic. It found them everywhere.

By the time they arrived at school, every muscle in Jay's body was stressfully stiff. He exited the truck with a struggle.

His eyes scanned the school, shooting toward every suggestion of movement, searching for Nya and Lloyd.

Nothing. Jay waited for Cole. They walked forward together, moving around to the back of the school. Everything was empty. As they neared the football field, they began to fear for the worst.

" _There_ you are."

Jay frowned at the darkness. The bushes seemed to have spoken. He turned to look at Cole, but before he could, a sudden, unexpected tug pulled him down. He tumbled and landed hard between his friends. " _Ow_. That was so totally unne-"

Cole kneeled by them, pressing a warm hand against Jay's mouth. "You're too loud."

Jay mumbled something in response. Cole waited for him to finish before pulling away.

"The Djinn was here. _Is_ here. Somewhere." Nya whispered. Jay turned over, peeking through the bushes. He could see nothing.

"One of my classmates texted me." Lloyd explained. "We need to get him to show himself."

"So that's the plan." Nya said. "One of us needs to lure him out. Then wish him still."

"Yes. But we need to find the teapot." Lloyd's mouth moved on its own. He was hardly surprised. He'd grown acceptant of the invasive effects of his wish. "It should be hidden in the school."

"Jay, go lure him out." Cole said. "You _did_ start this."

Jay opened his mouth to protest. He quickly found that arguing against Cole's grey eyes was impossible. So he shut it.

Nya nodded in agreement. Her eyes shifted to the building, thoughtful. "School's locked though. How would we-"

Lloyd raised a hand. Within it, lay a ring of keys. "Dad's. I'll find it."

Before anyone could protest, Lloyd ran off. Nya frowned at him. "He didn't tell us how to get my brother back."

"So let's wait." Jay fidgeted.

"We can't _wait_." Nya hissed. "We need to get this over with."

Jay groaned. "It's not like he'll come if I shout his name. He won't-"

Again, Cole pressed his hand against Jay's mouth. Jay gave him an annoyed glance. "Shh. Shh. I'm getting an idea. Just. . ."

Jay shoved Cole's hand away. "That was rude."

" _Shh_."

Jay rolled his eyes.

"Okay. . . Okay. . . How about me _and_ Jay go out there? We pretend to argue. As far as the Djinn knows, things between us are still bad."

"Wait, yeah." Nya shook her head. "What _did_ happen?"

Cole ignored her. "So we argue. Go our separate ways. He's bound to try and get one of us. Then, whoever he goes for wishes him still. Ta-da!"

"I guess that could work. Except, it probably won't." Jay hissed. "We have your bad luck. We can't know what that will cause. Also, won't he think it's a little odd that we're at school in the middle of the night? Won't he assume it's a trap? I- I don't know. He's smart. He's _good_. What if I end up wishing for the wrong thing all over again? "

"We have to give it a shot. It's all we have." Nya tried to look understanding, but all Jay saw in her eyes was impatience. And he couldn't blame her, could he? The only thing standing between her and her brother was his hesitation.

Jay looked down. Then back up. "Okay. . ."

Cole emerged first. Jay waited a few moments before following him into the football field. _Fake argument,_ he thought, _How hard can it be?_

Knowing he wasn't a terribly good actor, he opted for keeping it simple. "Cole. Hey. Thanks for showing up?"

"Just say what you have to say." Cole spat at him. It made Jay jolt. He risked a glance up at Cole, seeing genuine annoyance in his eyes. And then, a small, quick wink.

"I'm sorry about the wish and all. Please just. . . give me another chance. I'm sure we can-"

"No. If that's all you came to say then I'm out of here." Cole shook his head. "What you did was awful, and maybe now you'll think once or twice before opening that mouth of yours."

" _Seriously_?" Jay scoffed. "Fine. Spending time with you was a waste of time anyway! Er- You think you're all that, but in all honesty, you're just- just plain boring. Yeah!"

"And you're insanely frustrating! I have no idea how I was able to deal with you for so long."

"Well, at least my hair doesn't look like a wet mop!"

"At least _I_ don't look like an anxious squirrel."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm not- I don't- I won't waste time trying to apologize."

Cole threw his hands up in a dramatic _I-don't-care_ gesture, before shoving them back into his pockets. He stomped off. He wondered who the Djinn would choose.

With a flash of smoke, he knew the answer.

Cole stumbled back, making a very good act of looking startled. To keep victory from his face, he tightened his features into anger. "You. What do _you_ want?"

"I merely wanted to offer some assistance. To level the playing field, if I may." The Djinn smiled at Cole. Cole continued to frown. "His wishes ruined your life. Wouldn't it feel _good_ to return the favor?"

Cole turned back, giving Jay a quick glance as he moved away. It was difficult not to smile. "You want me to wish?"

The Djinn moved to block his view. "One wish wouldn't hurt would it?"

"Well . . . I guess _one_ wouldn't." Cole nodded. "I wish for. . ."

The Djinn leaned closer. Cole could imagine his eyes glowing with anticipation.

". . . you to stay _still_." Cole's eyes snapped up. Smirked in mocking triumph.

The Djinn growled. He willed himself to move away, but his own magic kept him from doing so. He was rooted to the spot.

"I don't what you're thinking. But you do not want me as an enemy." The Djinn tried to sound more intimidating than frustrated, but didn't quite succeed.

"Bit late for that, I think."

"Fine." Nadakhan shut his eyes. Cole took a step back. He had no idea what else the Djinn could do. He did not want to find out, either. "You want me to remain still? _I'll_ remain still."

Cole frowned. The ground beneath him began to tremble.

* * *

Lloyd could confidently say he knew Ninjago High School better than anyone.

He shoved the key into the lock, snapping one of the side doors open with sharp movements. Lloyd then trotted forward, a clear goal in mind. The teapot had been waiting in his locker before. Lloyd had no doubt the Djinn would try to use that trick more than once.

Only problem was, he wasn't completely sure he would find it in time.

Lloyd slowed. A hall of lockers stood before him. With his father's master key, he unlocked them one by one.

Each time, finding nothing.

He wondered if the others had lured the Djinn out. If everyone was waiting for his return.

He also wondered what would happen if someone else showed up, and asked him what, exactly, he was doing inside the school. Opening lockers, no less.

"Worry about that when it happens, Lloyd." He chided himself.

He was opening and shutting the lockers a bit too quickly now, his feet nearly buzzing with unspent energy. With a frown and a blink, Lloyd stumbled to a stop, returning to the locker he'd just shut. Had he seen. . .?

"Yes!" Lloyd shouted, chuckling with glee. He took the teapot, turning around to run back to the entrance.

The floor beneath him shook, tossing Lloyd's body forward. The teapot flew out of his grip. He struggled to regain his footing, but everything continued to shake, and he could do nothing, nothing more than watch the unexpected turn of events.

With a deafening sound, the floor split apart.

* * *

"I don't know what games you are trying to play."

The Djinn's voice was more of a growl than anything. Cole fell back, as the ground continued to tremble.

"But I have enough power to crush you. Crush you, and all those you might have lured here with the intent to stop me."

Cole wasn't listening. It was hard to pay attention to a maniacal speech when the earth beneath you was steadily rising into the air. He dug his fingers into the dirt, terrified of slipping over the side.

Smaller pieces of the ground rose quicker, moving up, up, up and out of sight. How high would they go? Surely the Djinn didn't intend to shoot everything around him into space. He wouldn't gain anything from killing them, would he?

The higher they moved, the stronger the wind. It stung his cheeks, and made his hair flutter wildly. Cole shut his eyes and screamed.

Then, all at once, everything stopped.

The sudden stillness made his head snap back against the grass. Cole opened his eyes. Pieces of the field and the school hovered around him, making a bizarrely broken world within the clouds.

He stood quickly, searching for Jay. He was crumpled at the edge of their piece of floating earth. Dazed. Probably terrified. But safe. Cole relaxed.

"You are happy about something?" The Djinn tilted his head to the side. Cole quickly looked away. "Look, boy, you seem reasonable. Wish me free of these bonds, and I assure you, I will leave you alone. Your friends even, if you so desire."

Cole shook his head. Eyes shifted to Jay again.

He was standing now. Yes, definitely terrified. Cole tried to look reassuring.

"Ah. Wait. I see. It is Jay, is it not? He is safe?" The Djinn laughed softly. "Well, Cole. You have truly put me in a bad position here. So why don't I return the favor?"

* * *

Jay knew something had gone very wrong.

Mainly because the grass he stood on was now hovering hundreds of feet in the air.

He stumbled back as a rush of vertigo made his knees week.

Yeah. This had not been part of the plan.

Jay forced himself to stand, eyes moving to Cole. Their eyes connected, mirroring each other in worry and fear. Nadakhan stood with his back to him.

Cole's eyes clicked back to Nadakhan. Fear flooded them. Cole shouted something, but Jay was unable to make it out, as a sudden forceful wind bit into him. Jay was shot back, heels dipping onto empty air.

Gravity poked his shoulder. He tilted back-

* * *

" _Jay!_ "

Jay was going to fall. Cole knew it. He would never reach him in time.

But he ran, anyway. Maybe- just, maybe- he could get there. Grasp him. Pull him close, hold him tight, so tight, and never, ever let go.

Yet, Cole was not exceptionally fast. And he was quite the opposite of lucky.

He reached the edge seconds too late. His hands grasped nothing but air.

* * *

Jay fell.

His first thought was, _Gravity works much faster than I imagined._

Second, _This is going to hurt. A lot_.

The third thought was more jumbled than coherent, etched out with panicked feelings rather than words.

Jay shut his eyes.

A pain that was somehow dull and sharp at the same time traveled up from his shoulder, sending panicked signals to his already panicked brain. _No offense brain. But forget the shoulder. I think we've got worse things to worry about. Like, oh I don't know, falling from hundreds of feet?_

Except. . . He _wasn't_ falling. Not anymore.

He snapped his eyes open, tilting up to look at his savior.

Lloyd smiled down at him. A strained, struggling smile.

In Jay's eyes, it looked absolutely angelic.

With much effort, Jay was pulled to the somewhat solid ground. Lloyd stepped away. "Sorry about your arm."

Jay looked at his shoulder. It looked wrong. And felt wrong. Still, a thousand times better than it could have been.

"Don't worry about it. Oh! Oh!" Jay's eyes brightened. "You found the teapot! High five!"

Instinctively, Jay tried to raise his right arm. A flash of pain rattled through him. "Or not. High five postponed. Yeah. That's- Ow."

" _Jay._ You're okay. Oh thank you, Lloyd. You're my hero. I could kiss you right now." Cole shouted down at them.

Lloyd gave him a sheepish smile."You need to wish for his power to fade."

"Fade?" Cole shook his head. "Won't we fall?"

"It's the only way." Lloyd shook his head. "Now catch!"

* * *

 _Catch? Catch?_ Cole shook his head. This was by far the worst idea Lloyd had ever had.

"I can't _catch_." Cole shouted down. "Bad luck! Remember?"

"I don't miss." Lloyd said.

"That's not- I don't- I'm-"

Lloyd didn't listen to Cole's complaints. He threw the teapot up toward him.

Cole fumbled to catch it. It landed on his head, before almost skittering over the edge.

" _Ow_." The teapot felt much heavier than it looked. Cole rubbed his head. He looked back down at Lloyd.

"You shouldn't have-"

" _Go_."

"But what if-"

" _Go!_ "

Cole stood. Reluctantly returned to the Djinn.

"You look distraught. Did your little friend get hurt? I do apologize. It must have been quite the fall." The Djinn said. His eyes flickered toward the teapot. "Where did you-"

Wishing for the Djinn's power to fade? It was the wrong move. It had to be. Surely there was another way, a way to put the school back the way it was, where no one would be harmed. Or maybe, once the Djinn's power was gone, Cole would be able to think of something. Something to lessen the consequences that-

The consequences.

All of the Djinn's wishes worked to break someone down, sending them spiraling from a bad situation to one worse, because it was hard to accept the consequences of the twisted wishes.

The only way out of this, was accepting whatever came next.

"I wish. . ." But what if Jay wound up worse? How would they explain the suddenly wrecked school? Why shouldn't he find a different wish, a better wish, a- Cole shut his eyes. Readied himself to regret every one of his words. ". . . for your power to fade."

Instead of lashing out in anger, The Djinn began to laugh.

"Your wish, is yours to keep."

With a poof of smoke, the Djinn disappeared.

Everything began to plummet back to the earth.

* * *

All too soon, Jay was falling again.

To be fair, at the very least, _everything_ was falling. So he wasn't alone.

The landing was rough. Not as rough as he'd previously pictured, but rough enough to cause darkness to momentarily overwhelm him.

When his consciousness returned, Jay jolted upward with a gasp. A wave of nausea hit him, and he cringed, waiting for it to fade. His eyes were unfocused, things blurring and twisting. But through it all, one thing stood clear.

The teapot.

It seemed to be glowing, and every so often, something resembling a firefly would shoot out, spinning wildly into the world. Souls?

If the Djinn's power had faded, then maybe his grip on the souls had been lost. Which meant Kai would be back. And every other person who'd had the misfortune of finding the teapot.

It also meant the Djinn was _not_ standing still any longer.

Jay had to twist the teapot. End the terrible madness he'd started what felt like a lifetime ago.

It was close. But in his current state, it felt very far. He didn't think he could stand. And with his arm useless, he couldn't exactly crawl, either.

Jay scooted forward bit by bit, flinching as the rubble rubbed against him.

Smoke.

Jay gave a huff of exasperation. He kept moving. Soon enough, Nadakhan's voice came.

"Don't forget Jay. You've still got one last wish."

"Oh. Trust me, I know." The teapot was almost within arm's reach. And Jay had all the time in the world. Without the souls, the Djinn wouldn't be powerful enough to do much.

"Maybe you should consider using it?"

 _Don't listen. Just move._

"Don't think so."

"Look around, Jay."

Jay did.

"The school is in shambles. Your friends? Can you see them?"

Jay could not.

"There is no way to know if they are alright. And if they are. . . well, someone will have to be the scapegoat for all this destruction, don't you think?"

Jay did think that. He forced himself to move again, but his thoughts were beginning to jumble.

The teapot was around his fingers. Just one twist.

"Lloyd, maybe? Ah. He would step up and take the blame. And his life would only go downhill from there. Forever branded as a bad seed."

One. Twist.

"Or that other friend of yours. She lost her brother. It would be easy for people to say that she snapped."

Jay pulled the teapot onto his lap.

"What about Cole?"

Jay's eyes snapped up. "What _about_ Cole?"

Nadakhan smiled. "After all he did for you, you would be at peace if he were to be blamed for all of this?"

"No. . ." Jay took a slow breath. "No. Of course not. But. . . we'll figure it out. Whatever happens, we'll figure it out."

"You and I both know that's a lie," Nadakhan growled.

"Maybe." Jay shook his head. "Honestly there's only one thing I wish right now."

"And that is?"

"I wish you'd shut up."

Jay twisted the teapot.


	19. Endings And Beginnings

Chapter 19- Endings and Beginnings

In what should have been a normal night, four very different families received four very similar calls.

"Good evening. This is Officer Anderson from the NPD. May I speak with Mr. Brookstone?"

Lou Brookstone held the phone close to his ear. He frowned at the words NPD. He couldn't imagine why the police would contact _him_. " This is he."

"It's about your son." Officer Anderson said, reading through the report before him. Usually, his tone could be described as less than enthusiastic, but tonight, there was a spark to his words. Something truly bizarre had occurred in Ninjago.

And by the hands of four teenagers, no less.

"Our son?" Edna smith questioned, biting her lip and holding tightly onto her husband's hand. "What about him? Is he okay?"

"He is currently being cared for at Ninjago's downtown clinic. Nothing to stress over. There are some things that your kid owes us an explanation for, though. Don't know if the news has reached you yet, but there's been an incident at the school.

"Your son was, quite literally, at the center of it all."

"Lloyd?" Garmadon grimaced, rubbing his temple. Lloyd was _not_ supposed to be out. But one look at his empty bedroom told Garmadon all he needed to know. "What exactly did he do?"

"That's what we're all trying to figure out." Officer Anderson responded. "Ninjago High is in shambles. But there was no explosion. Some of the residents nearby claim to have seen the school float, before plummeting to the ground. It's still a bit early to make sense of things. We recommend you come down to the station. Your daughter will need one of you here so we can get some questions answered."

"That's. . ." Ray Smith was at a loss. "You're sure you have the right girl? Nya? Nya Smith? . . . Alright. Well, I'll be there soon."

With a click, the call was ended. Ray lowered the phone.

"What happened with Nya?" His wife, Maya, asked cautiously. She was not sure she wanted to know the answer. "Is she. . . okay?"

"She's fine. She's . . . in trouble, it seems."

"Trouble?"

Ray shrugged, shaking his head. "Something to do with the school. I doubt she really had anything to do with it but-"

Before Ray could finish his sentence, a noise, distinguishable as clumsy footsteps, interrupted him. He frowned up the stairs. There shouldn't have been anyone home.

"What's-" Maya began to question, but Ray lifted his finger, suggesting she remain silent. Maya gave a quick nod. They both moved toward the sound, tense and ready for anything.

Well. _Almost_ anything.

Nothing could have prepared them properly for the person sheepishly moving down the stairs.

" _Kai?_ " Both Smiths' asked in unified disbelief.

* * *

Jay didn't know how to answer any of the cop's questions.

Not only did he have enough painkillers pumping through him to start naming new colors, but the true story was impossible to tell. Yes, the school _did_ float. No, it wasn't a bomb. Yes, a magic Djinn was the one responsible. No, I'm not insane.

For the most part, Jay told the truth. There was no lie to tell that would accommodate everything.

The cops blamed the medicine. And promised to return.

Maybe by then Jay would have something believable to say.

The moment the cops stomped out of the room, his parents waltzed right in, leaving him without a second of solitude. " _Jay Walker._ What exactly is your explanation for all of this? You got yourself hurt!"

Jay opened his mouth to answer his mother's question. His father prevented him from forming more than a single syllable.

"Why you had us worried sick, you know? We receive a call from the NPD, saying _our_ very own Jay was out there, doing, doing who knows what!"

Jay looked from his mom to his dad, waiting to see if either of them would begin speaking again. When they only stared expectantly, he deemed it safe to talk.

"I- " He, what? It was one thing to tell the truth to the cops, but he didn't want his parents looking at him crazy, too." I don't know what happened. I don't remember."

"Well of course you don't! Your poor little head!" Edna stepped forward, attempting to cradle Jay's head gently. The strength of it, however, was closer to a choke hold.

"Ah- Mom- I'm-" Jay wriggled free. "I'm fine. It's okay. But. . . the others? Cole, Nya, Lloyd are they. . ?"

"They're just fine, son," Ed reassured him.

"Are they _here_?" Jay asked, attempting to leap off the bed. Edna pushed him back down. "I want to-"

"Oh, no. No, no. You're still in trouble, you know."

" _Trouble?_ " Jay scoffed. "But I just saved-"

Jay bit his lip. Cleared his throat. Reworded his thoughts. "Why trouble?"

"Well, you might not remember _what_ you did, but it sure wasn't anything you should have been doing!" Ed crossed his arms. Jay was inclined to disagree. "Your school will have to be rebuilt. You got yourself hurt. _And_ the NPD is very interested in keeping tabs on you! That sounds like trouble to me, young man."

"But. . ." Jay pouted. The look in his parents' eyes told him all he needed to know. It was pointless to argue.

At least he knew everyone was alright. And the school would probably find a way to start back up sooner rather than later. He'd see them then.

Jay sighed. Being a hero _sucked._

* * *

Cole was very, very antsy.

He hadn't had contact with _anyone_ other than the cops and his father for four days now. It was absolutely infuriating.

There was still no announcement as to when they would be able to return to school. Which meant Cole had absolutely no idea when he'd be able to say Jay again.

His father had confiscated his cell phone _again_. So there was no reaching out either. Or, well, there shouldn't have been any reaching out. But Cole was tired of rolling with the punishment.

He'd gone up against an angered Djinn. He could break a couple of rules.

After waiting for his father to go to bed, Cole tip-toed out of his room. The house phone was in the living room. Not much ground to cover. Still, a challenge, since he was trying to be as silent as possible.

Cole hoped his father was a heavy sleeper.

When he finally reached the phone, he clutched it tightly, waiting, listening, until he was sure his father was still asleep. He dialed Jay's number.

Instant voicemail.

Cole sighed. What had he been expecting? Jay was most likely in the same boat as he.

He had never bothered to memorize Nya's number. Nor Lloyd's. So now. . .

"You're an _idiot_." Cole hissed to himself, dialing the number he truly should have tried first. The line beeped, as it attempted to connect. Cole tapped his foot impatiently.

And then!

"Hello?"

" _Kai_ " Cole whispered as loudly as he dared. "Dude. It's me. It's Cole. You're alright."

 _Cole! Nya told me everything. So. . . thanks. For saving me and all. But are_ you _alright? Nya's had me tried to reach out to everyone but no one's answering anything._

"I'm fine. Just, you know, in trouble. Because apparently saving Ninjago from imminent doom is illegal now."

 _Can't wait to see you at school then. You know. Whenever that happens. I'll let Nya know you're okay._

"Can't wait to see you either. So I can punch you into the next solar system. What did you even _wish_ for?"

 _I just wanted you to_ not _be mad at me_.

"You could have, oh, I don't know, just _talked_ to me?"

 _You're terrifying when you're grumpy. I didn't think it would work. I thought you'd hate me for all eternity unless I did everything just right. Thus- wishes. Very poorly thought out wishes._

"You're an idiot, Kai."

 _So I've heard_

"You're my best friend. I'd never hate you."

 _I'll keep that in mind. For the next time we encounter an all-powerful wish granting Djinn_

"You better." A shuffling sound from upstairs made Cole panic. He ducked behind the couch. Not a very good hiding spot. "I think I woke up my dad. I've got to go. I'll see you at school."

 _See you at-_

Cole hung up, dumping the phone back where it belonged.

He then rushed back to his room, trying to keep himself from bursting into a fit of victorious laughter.

* * *

In the end, no one could make sense of anything.

They settled with blaming it all on a gas leak beneath the school. Suggested that the seemingly floating pieces of the earth had been nothing more than a hallucination. It was a lazy, incomplete explanation. But it was the only thing anyone could come up with.

School returned even sooner than anyone expected. Classes would take place in portable classrooms, while the reconstruction of everything moved at an incredible pace.

Classes. School. _Homework._ Jay didn't think he'd be able to focus. Not after everything. But he was eager nonetheless. Eager enough to not feel anxious about having his dad drive him. After all, he'd finally get to see-

"Nya!" Jay hopped out of the car, dragging his backpack behind him.

"You _could_ say bye, son!"

Jay turned back, returning to the car. "Sorry, dad, yes, bye!"

After giving a weak wave, he returned to running toward his friend. He struggled to stop, the sling over his right arm making it hard to remain balanced. Nya steadied him.

"You're okay!" They both shouted in unison.

"I'm okay too. In case anyone asks." Kai piped in.

"Kai! Ha! So it _did_ work! I thought it had but. . . I wasn't sure." Jay stood on the tips of his toes, peeking into the bus behind them. "And Lloyd?"

Kai shook his head. Nya gave a shrug.

"He wasn't on the bus," Nya explained. "Well, we can probably ask Mrs. Garmadon about him. She's bound to be here, right?"

"Right," Jay nodded. "Plus my parent's did say he was okay. I just wonder what-"

A warm hand covered Jay's eyes. He flinched. Then the voice he most wanted to hear spoke behind him.

"Guess who?"

"Cole!" Jay shouted, turning around with a small jump. He gave him a one-armed hug. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am." Cole returned the hug, lifting Jay a couple of feet off the ground.

"So should we leave you two alone, or. . ." Kai teased, as Cole deposited Jay back down.

"Sorry, sorry." Cole smiled. "So. . . long time no see, huh?"

"Oh what, _I_ don't get a hug?"

With a roll of his eyes, Cole gave Kai a hug. Kai made a sound that seemed in between a laugh and a cough. "Jeez, dude, is this a hug or a murder attempt?"

"Bit of both," Cole said, finally stepping back.

"Cole! Kai!"

Zane trotted up to meet them, his eyes jumping from one to the other, as if he couldn't quite decide who he wanted to look at most. "You are both alright. And you are both talking! Does this mean we may hang out?"

"Yes!" Kai beamed.

"And about time too." Cole shook his head. "Honestly, Kai. When you want to apologize, _just_ apologize. Would be nice to not have to destroy the school to get you back."

"Better be listening," Nya said, with a smirk. "Next time, maybe we'll just let you stay trapped to marinate on your mistakes."

"Pff, that's fine." Kai shrugged. They all walked forward together, following the surging crowd around them. "I can get myself out. I _almost_ had it. Before you all stepped in. Had you given me another day, I would have saved everyone myself."

"Oh, really?" Zane questioned.

"Of course!" Kai lied, resulting in a wave of chuckles from his friends. "I'm _serious._ I've dealt with worse. It was only a matter of staying focused. For example. . ."

* * *

Mrs. Garmadon was nowhere to be found that day. And none of them wanted to question Principal Garmadon.

In the end, the small group of friends decided that stopping by Lloyd's house was the best course of action. It took a lot of begging for their parents to agree, but in the end, they gave in.

"So. . . knock." Jay nudged Cole forward.

"You know him better. _You_ knock."

"What if the principal opens?" Jay shook his head, then shrunk behind Cole's body. "Nuh-uh."

Nya rolled her eyes at them both, stepping forward to give the door a couple of quick raps.

Footsteps responded almost instantly. Rushing to the front door. It swung open with almost enough force to be blown off its hinges.

Lloyd stood in the doorway, watching them all with bright eyes. "Hey!"

"Lloyd!" Nya smiled. "You're here!"

"Why weren't you at school?" Jay asked.

"Ah. Long story." Lloyd stood on his toes, peeking behind them. He bit his lip, weighing unspoken options. "Mom and dad are out. Just. . . okay. Come in. Quick! I'll tell you guys what happened. But you can't stay long. I'm supposed to be in trouble."

They all stepped inside. Lloyd's house was overflowing with books. Upon coffee tables, packed in bookshelves, and towering on the floor. Lloyd nimbly walked through, guiding them all to the more open space of the living room.

Cole, Kai, and Nya all sat on the couch, finding comfortable positions in an instant. Jay stood to the side awkwardly, fidgeting with the hems of his jeans. Zane stood beside him, quietly taking everything in.

Lloyd hopped on the opposite couch. He sat crossed legged, looking more relaxed and comfortable than usual. "Oh! Did you guys want anything to eat? Drink? Sorry. Not used to guests."

"We're fine," Nya said, and everyone nodded along. "But really. What happened?"

"I technically broke into the school, that's what happened." Lloyd smiled sheepishly at first, but his lips slowly widened to give his features a more mischievous look. "When I went looking for the teapot. The school might have been a mess at the end of everything, but as my luck would have it, the cameras still worked.

"Dad got in trouble. Since it was his keys I used. They're keeping close tabs on him. And as for me. . . well, I guess I got my wish to get out of school after all."

"They kicked you out!?" Kai said, mouth agape. "Are you serious?"

"Well, sort of. They just didn't want me studying where my parents worked anymore. Since I'd proved myself to be 'untrustworthy'" Lloyd chuckled at this. "So it was either they moved, or I moved. So. . ."

"Where will you go now?" Jay asked.

"A boarding school. Can you believe it? I didn't even know those things were _real_." Lloyd said. "It's called Darkley's. I checked the place out earlier this week. I was sort of nervous, having to be the new kid all over again. But turns out there were a couple of people there I knew.

"Gene. And Brad." He turned to Jay and Nya, whose eyes flickered at the familiar names. "Gene's still a loser. Thought it was hilarious I'd been 'expelled'. Which I _wasn't_. But Brad. . . we talked a bit. It was . . . good."

Nya smiled. As did Jay. "But we'll still get to see you, right?"

"Duh." Lloyd nodded. "Plus, Brad and I are like, 90% sure there's some hidden evil in Darkley's. So who knows. The Save-Ninjago-From-Impending-Doom group might make a comeback yet."

"Save-Ninjago-From-Impending-Doom?" Kai asked.

His question went unanswered. Nya gave Lloyd a salute. "I'm always down to kick some butt."

"I'll leave myself as undecide,." Jay said, then shook his head. "Oh, what the heck. I'd be down. Maybe Ninjago will recognize us as the heroes we are if we save their butts a second time."

"Seriously. Save-Ninjago-From-Impending-Doom ?" Kai asked again.

Nya, Lloyd, and Jay shared a small laugh. Nya patted her brother's shoulder. "We'll think about initiating you."

* * *

Day by day, things began to grow surprisingly back to normal.

Once his parents had decided he'd been punished enough, Jay spent as much time as he could with the others. He grew closer to Kai than he ever thought he would. And he found that Zane was great company.

He and Nya missed Lloyd, but once a week, the three of them would exchange notes through a video chat. Nya talked about her plans for the end of the school year. Lloyd mainly babbled about the strange things at Darkley's. And Jay couldn't help but spout dozens upon dozens of things about his relationship with Cole.

Cole, who was steadily getting very good at video games, but still had trouble differentiating a socket wrench from needle nose pliers. Cole, who was teaching Jay things he'd never thought he'd learn, such as the perfect way to craft a melancholy tune and why certain rhythms were more likely to cheer you up than others.

Cole, who was as familiar and comfortable as he was new and exciting.

 _We lost Jay again,_ Lloyd chuckled.

Jay shook his head, erasing the dopey smile from his face. "AH! Sorry. I've just been thinking about-"

 _Cole, we know,_ Nya laughed.

 _You love Cole. You adore him. Nothing in the world you wouldn't do for him. He's the light of your life_ , Lloyd continued

 _Your sun, your stars. . ._

"Stop." Jay blushed furiously. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

 _You are,_ both Lloyd and Nya said in unison.

"I just really want to come up with the _best_ way to ask him to prom. I told you guys about the serenade apology, right? I'm going to show him _I_ can be romantic too!"

In response, Nya and Lloyd only rolled their eyes.

Jay had been flipping through ideas for a long time. Each time he was sure he'd come up with the perfect plan, something even better came to mind. It made it almost impossible for him to decide.

But he couldn't execute _all_ his ideas at once. In the end, Jay was forced to settle on one.

* * *

"This is the _last_ time I'm coming over, you know," Cole said. "Until _you_ come to _my_ place."

 _I promise I'll go, I will! Just, this is important. An absolute emergency. If you don't show up in about thirty minutes the earth could explode. Just saying._

"I'll be there." Cole rolled his eyes. "And if it's not an emergency?"

 _It is. You'll see. Just come. Or I'll keep spamming you until you do._

"Don't. I'm coming. Reluctantly." Cole said. "See you soon."

 _Yes! See you!_

Cole hung up. He didn't really know what to think. There was a wide array of things that Jay considered an emergency. It could be anything.

He drove. The path was so familiar now, Cole could have taken it in his sleep. He should start charging Jay for gas. The little bug had no business living in the middle of nowhere, and wanting _that_ much attention.

Not that Cole actually minded. He never grew tired of being with Jay. He didn't think it was possible to. Jay was a hurricane of wild ideas. And Cole loved to be part of them.

When he reached the junkyard, it was empty. And quiet. Which was really odd. Jay's parents were always loud enough to be heard for miles. And Jay himself was no better.

"Jay?" Cole asked. "What's-"

Cole felt a small nudge on his foot. He looked down, spotting a tiny robot. Around what Cole supposed was its neck, was a familiar blue bowtie. "Um. Hi."

The robot rolled away. Then rolled back toward him.

"Should I . . . follow you?"

The robot nodded. Or malfunctioned. Cole couldn't really tell. Still, when it moved away again, Cole walked behind it.

It guided him through the piles of junk. Cole was still amazed at how big the place was. It almost felt as if it were randomly generated each time he set foot inside. Everything always felt new.

The robot finally stopped before one of the smaller mountains of junk. Jay stood atop it. Hands on his hips. Proud smile on his lips.

"Hey," Cole waved. "So. . . what's the emergency?"

" _This_ is the emergency!" Jay shouted theatrically. "Hit it, Buddy-Volt!"

The robot rolled forward. Twitched. Sparked. Toppled over onto the sand.

"Wow. Yeah. Terrible emergency."

"Shut it." Jay hissed. "Just. . . Could you hit that button? Right there?"

Cole spotted the button. He pressed it.

The piles of junk around him began to light up one by one. The lights were mismatched and colorful, forming gigantic letters. In the end, they formed a one word question.

 _Prom?_

Cole stared. Blinked. Stared some more.

Jay slid down the from the junk pile. "Well? Don't- heh- Don't leave me in suspense here."

"Yeah. Yes. Of _course_." Cole smiled. He pulled Jay close, giving him a quick kiss. "Wow. You just. . . wow. That was really. . . something."

"You started it! Serenading me and all. You didn't think I'd just let you have the upper hand, did you?" Jay said.

"So, is our relationship going to be just us constantly trying to one up each other with terribly dramatic gestures?"

"Of _course_ not." Jay said, bending down to retrieve his small robot. "I mean, honestly? No way you'll ever beat this."

"Oh?" Cole quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"It's a _fact,_ Brookstone."

"We'll just have to see about that, Walker."


	20. Epilogue-Wishful Thinking

Epilogue-Wishful Thinking

The rest of the year rushed past.

Prom. Where Jay managed to acquire dozens of pictures of Cole, pictures he would treasure forever. Some goofy, some heartwarming, and some simply heart- _stopping_. Jay still couldn't understand how Cole could so easily make him go haywire.

It was a surprise to no one when Nya, Jay, and Zane were accepted to the school of their choice. It _was_ a surprise to hear Kai had been accepted. Maybe the universe had decided to finally cut him some slack. Or maybe, Kai had hidden talents he'd been unwilling to share.

Exams. _Exhausting_ exams. Jay, Cole, and Kai had found it hard to care. They were weeks away from freedom. They'd gotten through the worse of the year. There wasn't much fuel left in their overworked minds.

Nya and Zane wouldn't hear of it. They pushed their friends forward. It turned out that together, they made a terrifying but inspirational team.

And now this. The last day of school. The last day of these lockers, of these halls, of these classrooms. Jay felt as if he were readying himself to visit another planet altogether.

"Hey, Motor-mouth."

Cole slid up beside him. Jay gave him a quick smile, before returning to the task of emptying his locker. "Motormouth. I still have to kill Nya for that."

"She really hit the nail on the head though. It was nice you had a warning label on you." Cole said. "Still, I wasn't really ready for all that happened once I met you."

"Can't ever be ready for me. Not really. I'm a storm, baby." Jay gave Cole a wink. He shut his locker, easy attitude fading with a sigh. "This is it, huh? Wow. It's weird. I mean, I knew high school would _end_ but. . . I don't know."

"Well, you've still got a whole summer of hanging out with me before you really have to worry about the next step." Cole pointed out, gently turning Jay towards him. One of the passing students gave a teasing whistle. Cole responded with a roll of his eyes. Jay responded by momentarily morphing into a tomato. "So- . . . Relax."

"Relax?" Jay scoffed, reddened cheeks glowing. "I'm afraid you haven't gotten to know me as well as you should have."

"I just figured it was worth a shot. Maybe no one had ever suggested you do that before."

"Trust me, that's _all_ anyone ever suggests."

"Well, since you're not going to take me up in my offer to relax, can I ask you a stressing question?"

"Sure," Jay shrugged, adjusting his backpack against his shoulders. Together, they walked out of the school.

"Where's the teapot? Did you get rid of it?"

"It's in my backpack."

"In your _backpack_?" Cole laughed. Frowned. "You're joking, right?"

"No."

"Jay, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say this whole ordeal started _because_ you had the teapot in your backpack?"

"You're wrong. _Technically_ it started the first time I decided to wish. Or, better yet, it all started to unwind the moment you broke my nose and made me fall in love with you." Jay said, earning an annoyed look from Cole. "Look, _look_ , what else was I supposed to do? If I leave it at home my parents could find it. Use it. Or even worse, sell it! And how, exactly, am I supposed to get rid of it? It's not like there's a volcano readily available for me to toss it into."

"Okay, okay." Cole unlocked his truck. They both slid inside. "I get it. Just promise you _do_ want to get rid of it."

"Well, it's not like I've got any more wishes, heh."

"I'm serious."

Jay shifted. "Yes. I want to get rid of it. Sorry. It's hard not to joke when . . . I don't know. Heavy stuff."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Cole said. "And. . . I think I've got an idea?"

"Oh good. What is it?"

"Ouroboros."

* * *

Jay deemed it a miracle to find the lost city a second time.

Cole deemed it proof of his godly navigation skills.

"What if someone, somehow, finds it anyway?" Jay said, squatting down on the sand to bury the rusted teapot. "This isn't really getting _rid_ of it."

"It's as close as we'll get. I'll tell you if I find a volcano though."

"Please do."

Cole kneeled beside Jay. He helped with the process, fingertips quickly growing painfully warm. "Still though. Wouldn't you feel bad if we actually _destroyed_ it?"

"Feel _bad_?" Jay scoffed. "That Djinn is evil incarnate. No, I wouldn't feel bad. Good riddance."

"I don't know. I mean, he's still a living. . . being of some sort. He's got to have a reason on why he- why he's so intent on hurting people. Maybe someone hurt _him_ first."

Jay stopped digging, shaking his head. He placed a hand on Cole's shoulder. "Dude. That 'living being' nearly murdered all of us without hesitation. You are way too good for this world if you're thinking these things."

"Definitely too good for _you_ , I'll tell you that," Cole said, pushing Jay's hand off his shoulder. "Just dig, boy, before I decide to leave you here."

"Aye, Aye." Jay chuckled, giving Cole a fake salute. He then tossed the teapot into the hole they'd made, shoving sand back over it. When they had finished, it was impossible to tell anything had been done at all.

Jay stood, dusting off his jeans and staring into the spot he supposed the teapot was. "May no one find you ever again."

"And if someone _does_ , may they at least find a good way to end it all." Cole finished.

They stood side by side in comfortable silence for a minute. Jay's fingers reached for Cole's. Their hands tightened around each other, minds flipping through memories of everything.

"So what's your plan after summer?" Jay asked. They turned to return to the coolness of Cole's truck. "Now that you're freed from the shackles of your dad's dreams."

"I don't know." Cole beamed. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Well. . ."

"For the first time _ever_ , I don't have the rest of my life perfectly planned out before me. I could do _anything_." Cole's eyes shone with excitement. Jay committed the expression to memory. "I'm starting with getting a part-time job. And after that. . . see if I can sort of. . . search around. I've always liked drawing. So that's a start already."

"You better keep me updated. I want to know _everything_."

"Writing a novel about me?"

"Maybe," Jay smirked. "I'm calling it, The Story of The Boy Who Thought He Was Perfect Until He Saw True Perfection. True Perfection being _me,_ of course."

"It's a little wordy, and a little inaccurate, but I'll let it slide."

"Also, just because you're going to have a job and I'm going to be a college student doesn't mean I'm going to allow our time together to lessen. I don't know how you're going to pull it off, but I expect to get as much attention as I'm getting now, if not more."

Cole laughed. "Maybe I should get the teapot out and wish for a time machine."

Jay pretended to consider the option. "Hm. Maybe you should. I'm _very_ demanding, you know."

"Oh. Yes, I _know_."

They exchanged a bit of laughter.

"In all honesty. . ." Jay said, tone softening. He looked up into Cole's eyes. "I'm still sort of expecting to wake up, realize everything was some sort of dream. I'll be as boring as ever, and you'll be hanging forever out of my reach.

"I mean, whoever heard of anyone getting _anywhere_ through wishful thinking?" Jay shook his head. "Can't be real."

"It's real. I promise. As real as it gets," Cole said. " I mean, honestly, you really think you have enough imagination to come up with all the things I've done?"

"Maybe." Jay smiled.

"Okay, well, how about this then?" Cole leaned forward. He hovered just out of reach, giving Jay a teasing smile. Then, he kissed him.

Jay kissed him back, drowning, as always, in the incredible impossibility of it all.


End file.
